The Poison Tree
by Thorntons
Summary: Set post Scarlet Ribbons, Jane and Lisbon are battling malign forces within law enforcement and the outside world with help from some familiar characters.
1. Chapter 1

**_A Poison Tree_**

 _I was angry with my friend:_ _I told my wrath, my wrath did end._

 _I was angry with my foe:_ _I told it not, my wrath did grow._

 _And I watered it in fears n_ _ight and morning with my tears,_

 _And I sunned it with smiles_ _And with soft deceitful wiles._

 _And it grew both day and night,_ _Till it bore an apple bright,_

 _And my foe beheld it shine,_ _And he knew that it was mine,-_

 _And into my garden stole_ _When the night had veiled the pole;_

 _In the morning, glad, I see m_ _y foe outstretched beneath the tree._

 ** _William Blake_**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Out of the frying pan...**

Jane's relief was palpable when the not guilty verdict was read out; he knew his closing statement had really stretched the boundaries of credibility. The verdict could have gone either way, who knows what would have happened with a different jury; Debbi Lupin's testimony had undoubtedly swung the argument in his favour, even if he had been acquitted on a technicality. Although he felt no compunction about shooting Timothy Carter, Jane was now convinced that Carter was merely an acolyte of Red John, not the man himself.

It was an act of desperation using the Carter did not exist, ergo he did not kill him defence but he was determined to avoid incarceration while Red John was still alive. Of course he had been relieved when the death sentence was off the table, that in itself said something about his state of mind. Only a few years ago that wouldn't have bothered him but these days there was a little ray of sunshine breaking through his clouds in the form of Teresa Lisbon.

Of course he had been attracted to her immediately in the way that any healthy male notices an attractive co-worker, it was not so much her physical attributes that had started to illuminate his darkness as much as her sarcastic wit and her no nonsense kindness. Once again they had been thrown together in life or death situations with Gupta's bomb, closely followed by Lisbon being shot and finally the prospect of the death penalty for Jane. They had weathered all that with typical equanimity and the unspoken bond between them was as strong as ever.

Jane composed himself as he left the court house, although he tried to show no emotion his eyes anxiously searched for a familiar face. Finally he spied what he was looking for, Lisbon was seated opposite, predictably feeding her caffeine addiction, he allowed himself a smile when he saw her. As they got into her car their eyes exchanged a knowing look that spoke volumes, although their conversation was typically perverse.

"So what now?" She asked in all sincerity.

"Well tea would hit the spot," was the flippant riposte.

"I mean, what now? You've done what you set out to do, got your vengeance, do you feel different?" That was secret code for the question she dare not ask - are you sticking around?

"Feel better? No I feel guilty." His matter of fact response quirked her interest.

"Guilty, Why?" She couldn't help but ask.

"For deceiving the jury, I mean I had no choice. Going to prison would have been a victory for Red John." Jane's response had Lisbon totally confused.

"What do you mean? Red John's dead." She still hadn't cottoned on.

"He was an evil man, but he wasn't Red John. Red John is still alive." That had her full attention she turned her face towards him.

"Watch the road!" Jane yelled as he saw the vehicle pull alongside them just before he felt the impact.

Lisbon veered to the side as the van deliberately forced them off the road sending them over the sidewalk into some bushes. With her one arm still in a sling Lisbon had struggled to keep control of the car and Jane held on for dear life. The air bags deployed saving them from serious injury but Jane could see the colour draining from Lisbon's face as a small patch of blood spread on to her chest. The combination of the seatbelt restraint and impact of the airbags must have caused her wound to open and her pain was evident, she looked close to passing out.

Jane rushed round to her side of the car "Lisbon, Lisbon are you alright?" He said shakily. "Come on let's get you out."

He supported her and gently let her down on the grass verge before slowly peeling back her jacket to see the extent of the problem, he guessed she would need more stitches and pain killers and he pressed a handkerchief against her wound to staunch the flow of blood.

Someone must have reported the incident, as the sound of sirens soon announced the arrival of SAC PD at the accident scene; he hoped the EMT's would be following shortly to check Lisbon over. Curiously the officers registered scant interest in Jane's account of events, choosing to concentrate on Lisbon's ability to drive and whether she had been negligent.

"For crying out loud, how do you think the driver's wing got dented? Someone drove us off the road." Jane's exasperation was evident, but for Lisbon's sake he was trying to hold it together. The officers circled the vehicle taking notes of the scene and looking for witnesses to no avail before returning to Lisbon, who was barely compos mentis struggling with the pain.

"Can you stand up Ma'am? We need to do some checks to ascertain whether you were fit to drive," the younger man said officiously.

"Are you joking, she's on the verge of passing out. Can't you see how much pain she is in?" Jane shouted.

"No need to be like that Sir, we'll have to get her blood tested for drugs and alcohol. Looks like she lost control of the vehicle to me, I'll have to make a note that the suspect would not perform the field sobriety tests."

Although she had passed the initial breath test, SAC PD wouldn't let the EMT's take her to hospital until the blood samples were taken and Lisbon's vehicle was impounded for further investigation.

Jane did not like the sound of this, it looked like they were being judge and jury, he just hoped for Lisbon's sake that she hadn't overdone the painkillers.

Jane checked in with Cho while he waited for Lisbon to be treated at the hospital. "There's been an accident, someone forced us off the road but it looks like Lisbon is being set up by SAC PD. I'm sorry to ask this, as I know you are all on suspension but can you see whether Grace can access any CCTV footage by the park on E St, where the accident took place. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Is the Boss ok?" Cho was genuinely concerned; he knew she had discharged herself from hospital way too early.

"Her wound has torn open again but nothing major, I would guess some stitches and painkillers will suffice but I'll let you know. Don't worry I'll stay with her and make sure she's ok." Jane reassured him.

Lisbon emerged pale and pumped up with pain killers, the doctors would only discharge her if she had someone to stay with her. Jane knew she would agree to anything to get discharged but would rail against it as soon as they were out of the hospital.

"Lisbon, I know this isn't really the time to ask but I was going to ask if I could use your couch for a few nights. I don't know why, but I can't face the motel just yet; it would be like going from one cell to another." It was partly true but Jane was trying to put her in a position where she had to agree to let him stay.

Lisbon hesitated, the last thing she wanted was Jane fussing over her but even in her befuddled state she had not got the heart to refuse him. "Ok but I can't stand people making a fuss - you understand Jane, if you start making a nuisance of yourself, you're out."

"Of course Lisbon, you're doing me a great favour. Thank you." He would have hugged her had she not been injured.

Rigsby had come to pick them up; they stopped by at Jane's motel to get him a change of clothes and to pick up his car, so they could make their own way to Lisbon's.

"Can't believe this has happened to you on today of all days," Rigsby shook his head disbelievingly.

"Do you really think it's a coincidence?" Jane raised an eyebrow quizzically. "My guess is we were tailed from the court house and there is nothing accidental about this. I just wish that it was me rather than Lisbon that got injured," he added in all sincerity.

"Grace is canvassing some of the local businesses for CCTV, she can't access the usual systems but thinks she might be able to get something before SAC PD have time to seize the evidence. At least if we can get copies of the videos, we will know for sure if the boss is being set up." Rigsby was not entirely convinced by Jane's theory yet but he added, "I've got some contacts in accident investigation, I'll see if they have got any information on the incident report."

Jane smiled gratefully; he knew how much he owed the team. "Thanks Rigsby, not just for this but for all the support the last few weeks."

Lisbon flopped down on the sofa as soon as she got in, breathing a sigh of relief to be home before looking with some irritation towards Jane.

"There's some pizza in the freezer or eggs in the fridge, just help yourself to what you need. If you need anything else there's a store just round the block sells most things. Sorry, I wasn't expecting company." She looked round with some embarrassment at the state of the living room; with her bum wing in a sling, cleaning had hardly been a priority this last week.

"Lisbon don't worry, I've imposed myself on you. How about I make some eggs to settle your stomach and make some drinks." Jane made his way to the kitchen and started opening the kitchen doors looking for tea, to his surprise he found a selection of teas and selected a camomile one to help her relax. The fridge was hardly a source of abundance, a few eggs, bottled water and some decidedly iffy milk. The bread was just about edible if you ignored the little fleck of mould. After prison food he was used to anything, so this was a feast for him. Without further ado he prepared them both some eggs and took them through to the living room. He resolved to re-stock Lisbon's cupboards when he went out; she really needed to look after herself better.

Jane had to force himself to be matter of fact about everything, if she remotely thought he was trying to look after her he knew she would turn him out. Besides it was nice to have some company again, even if the company was a silently smouldering diminutive cop. It was far better to adopt a practical approach with her than attempt to show any concern, although her fragility made Jane feel unaccountably protective towards her. His mission, until she inevitably threw him out in a day or so, was to get her back on an even keel, even if he had to play on his own insecurities to extend his stay a bit longer.

"I know you need a bit of time to yourself, I'll just go out and buy a few things in, is there anything you need? " He gently enquired.

"I'm fine, I'll be up and about again in no time, just get what you need. Take my key in case I fall asleep before you get back." She winced as she shifted her position on the sofa.

"If you need any help getting upstairs, just let me know."He half expected to have his head bitten off for offering.

"No, I'll just sit and watch TV for a while, but you can go and get your pillows and a throw from upstairs before you go."

Jane did as he was told then disappeared for a while to let her rest; he made his way over to Cho's where the rest of the team had agreed to meet.

"Hi Guys, any progress with the CCTV footage?" Jane went straight to the point.

"SAC PD had already collected most of it but I managed to find a camera on a private house that captured the incident. It's a bit grainy but I think I can enhance it." Grace piped up.

Jane looked over her shoulder as she replayed the video for him; a beat up old transit van clearly came alongside them and pushed them off the road, you couldn't identify the driver but at least they had that as a backup.

"I don't suppose you could get a statement from the CCTV owner just in case?" Jane thought it was worth asking, although he did not hold out much hope it would stand up in court. "Rigsby any news on Lisbon's car?"

"My guys are finding it hard to find anything out, they managed to take a shot of the damaged wing from a distance but it's been kept under lock and key since then. It all seems very cloak and dagger." Rigsby conceded.

"Mmm, I've got a bad feeling about this, someone is setting Lisbon up for a fall. We need to build up a dossier of evidence in case this ever goes to court. Just for the record did anyone see Lisbon take a drink at all?"

"No she was in court all day, there will be loads of witnesses to that and we were with her until the verdict was delivered and then she went straight out to get her car so she could pick you up."Cho shared Jane's concerns.

"OK, well that's something." Jane replied before thanking the team for all their support and making his way back to Lisbon's.

Lisbon had fallen asleep on the sofa in his absence, so he just covered her over and settled down in an armchair with a book. Her face had relaxed slightly as the painkillers had kicked in but she still looked worryingly pale. Jane rarely had the luxury of being able to examine her appearance so freely and his eyes roved over her. He guessed she wasn't eating properly again as the weight loss was noticeable and he could not help but wonder how someone so fragile could be so strong. He smiled as her elfin features were re-arranged into a cute pout when she turned in her sleep, she looked younger without the makeup she used to disguise her freckles. He felt an urge to touch her face but held back for fear of waking her, Lisbon's guard was back up and it would take some explaining if she caught him.

Jane had no doubt that Lisbon was being targeted because of her association with him, but he was struggling to get his head round who would benefit from this. This seemed very well organised and co-ordinated, it was not a rogue officer, there were too many people involved. Of course his first thought had been Red John but this seemed too subtle, there was no direct threat or particular malevolence at present. This smacked more of a warning shot or an attempt to discredit Lisbon, Jane wondered whether the whole team would be targeted; it was perplexing that his first day of freedom had ended like this.

* * *

One by one the team were called back in to work and despite Jane's attempts to sabotage Haffner's efforts, Bertram had insisted on giving Haffner another try but this time he was in charge of the whole team. It couldn't have been easy for Haffner, he was an ambitious man and wouldn't turn down this opportunity but stepping into Lisbon's shoes was not an easy matter. Lisbon insisted that Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt played it straight with Haffner, they couldn't risk another black mark against them. On the face of it Jane also co-operated but a lot of his success depended on his ability to unsettle people and with everyone going strictly by the book the closure rate fell dramatically.

Haffner was not particularly happy being put in this position, apart from anything else he had always had a soft spot for Lisbon. Haffner acknowledged the team were diligently following through but knew there was a spark missing and he knew that Lisbon was the catalyst that brought all the elements together. He increasingly felt like a pawn in some power play between Bertram and Jane and was wary of being the fall guy.

Jane had returned to his motel once he was working again, having run out of viable excuses to stay on at Lisbon's, although he had enjoyed the short stint of domesticity. He knew it was better for Lisbon if he left, as his continued presence would be another thing to use against her. Jane still dropped by most days to see if she needed anything and she seemed pleased to see him, despite her best attempts to hide it. He would take her shopping, as her car was still impounded and help with any heavy lifting, while being careful not to overstep the unspoken boundaries.

Lisbon had got a bit better at accepting help and despite being glad to have the place to herself again, she had missed the presence of another being in the house.

* * *

An unexpected visitor turned up in the form of La Roche, Lisbon was most surprised to see him but he explained that he was moving on and wanted to see her before he left.

"Lisbon, I'm glad that you are recovering now. I have to say I am not at all happy with the way you have been treated, but it is out of my hands now I am being moved again. Arguably you have a case to answer for not bringing Hightower in, but in the bigger picture even that can be justified. I guessed you even suspected me of being the mole and in the circumstances you were right to suspect everyone. There is a definite change going on in the CBI, cliques are being formed and barriers are being put up – Bertram should do something about this but one wonders whether this emanates from up high. I can't say I'm sorry to be moving on."La Roche was unusually talkative, normally he waited for other people to initiate the conversation.

"Thank you JJ, I appreciate that. I feel helpless at the moment, there are so many things happening beyond my control. You know they are thinking of charging me with DUI?"

"I have to ask you Lisbon, is the charge justified?" La Roche stared at her silently, falling back into his old ways.

"No way, I lost my mother to a drunk driver. I would never drive under the influence, this case is being concocted against me."She vehemently declared.

"What evidence do they have?" La Roche played the devil's advocate.

"Circumstantial really, my breath test was negative but they claim there were traces of Vicodin in my blood test, which I find hard to believe as I hadn't taken any for days. I switched to some less powerful painkillers, as I wanted to be alert during Jane's trial. But somehow a bottle of tablets was found in my car and they are using this coupled with my inability to do the field sobriety tests as indications of my guilt."

"Why didn't you do the tests?" La Roche persisted, not that he disbelieved her it was just habit.

"I was shaken up by the car crash and was disorientated with the shock and pain." Lisbon explained.

"I'm sure a good lawyer would get you off this. What does Jane think?"

"He's worried but he's arranged a lawyer, Jenkins, for me – I don't ask too many questions about him but he seems competent." Sometimes it didn't pay to ask too much about Jane's acquaintances.

La Roche smiled thinly at that, guessing Jane would know how to get round most things. "Well I must go now Teresa but watch your back, this is most unsettling. You have my number feel free to call me." He unexpectedly gave her a gruff bear hug before leaving her to her thoughts.

Jane was disturbed when she recounted what la Roche had said, it confirmed his own unease and he knew it would have taken a lot for La Roche to be worried. Lisbon asked how the team were getting on, as they shared the takeout meal he had brought with him. Lisbon had warned them to distance themselves from her, although they all phoned her regularly, everyone one felt a bit embarrassed being back at work apart from Jane.

She had told him that she did not mind him being back at work but had still been taken aback when he calmly rationalised that it was better to have someone on the inside. A little bit of her would have liked him to show some remorse.

* * *

Unusually the following day Lisbon phoned Jane at work. "Lisbon, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" He greeted her brightly but with a hint of curiosity.

"It's been confirmed, they charging me for DUI and a date has been set for arraignment." Jane could tell how unsettled she was from her tone.

"Mmm, I'm not entirely surprised but the evidence won't stand up in court," he reassured her.

"There's something else Jane, my car has been returned." She paused briefly as she composed herself.

"Oh well, that's good you can start getting it repaired." He couldn't see where this conversation was leading but humoured Lisbon nevertheless.

"Well the insurance wouldn't pay out with a DUI charge pending, but actually there's not much to do anyhow."

Now he was confused. "Well there's a dented wing and bent fender for starters."

"The thing is, there is no damage on the driver's side, none at all." She paused for his reaction and heard a sharp intake of breath as the penny dropped.

"Lisbon we need to meet with Jenkins as soon as possible, I'll phone him and make the arrangements. This is not good." Even Jane had not expected them to go that far, any lingering doubts he had about Lisbon being set up were completely dispelled.

* * *

A/N I'm not au fait with US legal proceedings, so I hope I've got this right.


	2. Chapter 2: The Set Up

**Chapter 2: The Set Up**

Adam Jenkins had been Jane's legal adviser back in the days when Jane was at the height of his celebrity. He did not always approve of Jane's antics but had proved a steadfast friend in the troubles that ensued.

After Angela and Charlotte's deaths, and in the absence of any immediate family, Adam had pretty much taken control, gently guiding Jane through the aftermath and helping with the necessary arrangements, until Jane could take no more and was eventually hospitalized. Jane habitually distanced himself from people of that era, not wishing to be reminded of his breakdown, but Adam had continued to administer Jane's affairs, although they rarely met in person.

Adam had worked his way up from humble origins and was not afraid of telling Jane some home truths. Contrary to what Lisbon thought, Adam was as straight as they came and would not gloss over the facts just to keep them happy.

Although Jane had an inherent dislike of anything to do with the establishment and the professions allied to it, Adam had gained his respect with his uncompromising attitude.

Routinely used to being the smartest man in the room, Jane found it difficult to defer to the professionals who fell back on years of learning. He instinctively railed against a situation where training and knowledge could trump his intuitive skills and superficial grasp of the facts. Given time he would have matched their knowledge, but at this juncture Jane's mighty fortress of a memory rejected the dull tomes of the law in favor of the diversity of the world of literature and music not to mention the plethora of useless facts, that he could pull up at a moment's notice to impress.

Jane could blag his way through most situations, but even he had to accept there were times when years of study and knowledge of precedent and procedures came in handy. He might have risked defending himself against a fabricated DUI charge but he was going to make sure Lisbon had the very best representation.

Jane had come to an arrangement with Adam whereby Lisbon was charged a reduced rate, and unknown to Lisbon, Jane would make good the difference. He knew Lisbon would kill him if she found out. Jane had thought Lisbon might try and shut him out of the meetings with Adam but she logically thought Jane's insight could be useful, provided that he knew when to back off.

Adam delivered his assessment dispassionately, knowing it was not necessarily what Lisbon wanted to hear.

"Patrick has apprised me of the latest developments, I must say I've never come across such a blatant fit up before but we still have to deal with the legal processes. My initial assessment is that, after the preliminary hearing the judge should rule the evidence does not establish probable cause and should dismiss the charges, however I do worry how far these people are prepared to go to discredit you and miscarriages of justice can occur."

While Lisbon would have preferred a more positive outlook, she shared Adam's fears about the subversion of justice. Her cop instincts kicked in and she approached the problem logically posing a number of questions. "SAC PD collected most of the local CCTV footage, have they disclosed any of that yet?"

Adam shook his head. "No, that would be pivotal; I'm surprised and a bit concerned that has not been presented yet. I understand your own video evidence came from a private dwelling. Would the owners be willing to sign an affidavit to corroborate the authenticity of your own footage?"

Jane interceded at that point "It looks like they have been leant on, off the record they told me their son is on probation and there have been threats that he'll end up back in jail. They don't know Teresa and certainly aren't willing to stick their necks out for her." He looked askance at Lisbon before continuing, "of course I can be pretty persuasive myself, if they have any skeletons in their cupboards, unfortunately I'm pretty sure Lisbon wouldn't sanction that."

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Jane we are battling against possible police corruption, do you honestly think we should sink to the same depths as them? What does it say about us if we follow that approach?"

Jane pulled a face and shrugged his shoulder "Just saying. All's fair in love and war and make no mistake Lisbon, this is war."

Adam watched their interactions with amusement, he reflected how Jane had run rings round his late wife Angela to get his own way and contrasted Angela's complicity with the forthright woman before him, who seemed to exert a degree of control over his long-time client.

Returning to the business in hand Adam addressed Lisbon again. "So what is the story with the tablets in the car, are they yours or have they been planted there?"

"I had a few tablets left over - I left them because of the side effects, a modicum of discomfort was preferable to being in a drug induced haze. I'd need to see the bottle they have as evidence to make a judgement on its veracity but I can tell you I never took the tablets out of the house and I never drove while I was taking them." She answered with clarity.

"So you can produce the left over tablets to refute their evidence?" This sounded more promising to Adam.

Lisbon sighed heavily and looked at Jane."No, I can't seem to locate them. I know I left them on the coffee table for convenience, to save having to get up from the sofa when I was recuperating."

"Think Lisbon, think." Jane said sharply "it's not like you to forget things like that, try retracing your steps."

"Believe me, I have Jane and I always come back to last seeing them on the coffee table, I honestly don't know where they are." Lisbon knew how stupid it sounded; anyone who did not know her would automatically think she had left them in the car.

Adam intervened before Jane harangued her again. "Have you had any visitors that may have taken them?"

"I had a couple of charities call by for donations, I may have left them alone while I went to get some money from my bag but nothing I can put my finger on. La Roche came by but he had neither the guile nor opportunity to take anything, so I'm confident it wasn't him. The truth is once I had stopped taking them, I didn't register when they disappeared. I'm stuffed aren't I?" She looked helplessly at Adam and Jane, realising how incriminating it all looked.

"No need to rush to a hasty judgement." Adam coolly advised. "It all depends on the presiding judge; to me the evidence is still largely circumstantial and should be dismissed but even if went to trial they would need much more conclusive proof to secure a conviction."

Jane was unusually quiet as he drove Lisbon home, she could see his mind was in overdrive and he seemed none too happy with his machinations.

Lisbon tried to shake off her own depression about the case and tried to cheer Jane up in the process. "It may never get that far, no point worrying Jane."

He smiled weakly, though his eyes betrayed his inner thoughts. "That's the spirit Lisbon, be positive something will crop up."

He played over the options in his mind, should further evidence be produced, he could easily see the case going forward. Lisbon's name and reputation would be mired regardless of the end result and he dreaded to think what else the prosecution might drag up as part of the process. Lisbon had participated in some of Jane's more dubious schemes, which could be used to prejudice her character. Until the DUI issue was resolved, her position at the CBI was on hold, a guilty verdict would wreck any prospects of her return to a responsible position.

The costs of defending this could be way beyond Lisbon's means, even at Adam's reduced rate and he knew Lisbon would not let him pay her costs. A public defender would not be prepared to investigate all of the areas that Adam would consider; he racked his brain for a way round this.

The familiar feelings of guilt and self loathing returned to him; as a result of his actions yet another person he cared for was potentially having their life wrecked.

* * *

Jane met the rest of the team for drinks at O'Malley's to discuss the latest developments."I can't lie to you, it's not looking good. Rigsby would your contacts in accident investigation be prepared to help - didn't you say they took some photos?" He looked hopefully in Rigsby's direction.

"I honestly wish I could bring you some good news but everyone has closed ranks over there, they won't even take my calls." Rigsby grimly shook his head, knowing this was their last hope.

Cho had no intention of giving up that easily. "I'll go back to the premises with CCTV at the accident site, to see if SAC PD missed anything. The chances are the incident has been recorded over by now but if there is one thing Lisbon taught us it's to close down every lead. It might be worth talking to anyone who supplied video footage to SAC PD as well, to see if they have had any feedback."

"That's a good starting point," Jane acknowledged. "If I were you, I would pose as insurance investigators rather than cops. We don't want anything getting back to the CBI."

Jane looked up sharply as he noticed Haffner approaching, the conversation fell still as he stopped at their table. Haffner gave a wry smile, "well that's killed the party, do I want to know what you were talking about?" He knew he would always be the outsider, in some ways that was OK. Management 101 allowed for the keeping distance strategy, so long as they all worked together when they needed to. He sat down at the table with them, calmly weighing each one up in turn.

"I'm guessing this about Lisbon; it's a real shame to see someone as good as Teresa in trouble." He transferred his gaze to Jane.

To everyone's surprise Jane responded. "Yes it is. Any fool can see she is being stitched up."

"It certainly looks that way but the evidence is damning. Lisbon has ruffled a lot of feathers because of you and there aren't many people willing to stand up for her. I get the distinct impression the powers that be want her out at any cost." Haffner's candour was disarming. Although Jane would never particularly like Ray, he was unduly brusque with subordinates; Jane had accepted Ray was straightforward in his own way. So far only Jane had guessed Ray's connections with Visualise, but as it did not seem to affect his work, Jane filed that little nugget of information away for future use.

Haffner looked at the team as he finished his drink. "I know there's no point trying to stop you doing your own investigation to help Lisbon. I'm OK with that, as long as the casework takes precedence and there are no badges when you do your own thing. Nothing must come back on the CBI. Do I make myself clear?"

The team nodded in acquiescence, they appreciated his pragmatism. Maybe he would make a good leader someday, just not their leader if things worked out.

* * *

Jane was late for their next meeting with Adam and when he arrived he saw Adam and Lisbon chatting casually; they obviously had not got down to business yet. Jane only wished he had better news to tell them.

Adam was a muscular man, regular features nothing special to look at but he had an undeniable presence about him. He had been married briefly, it ended amicably but Adam had decided he was not cut out for the institution of marriage and enjoyed his life as a singleton. He was never short of a date but was by no means a Lothario; he had simply struck up friendships with like minded women who enjoyed the fringe benefits without the commitments. He never misled anyone and was certainly not exclusive, but he managed to keep on good terms with most of his lovers long after their dalliances had fizzled out.

It struck Jane that Lisbon was exactly the sort of woman who would appeal to Adam and that made Jane very apprehensive. It was only 6 months since he had encouraged Lisbon and Mashburn to get together, but he recognized that his own feelings had shifted since then and although he was not in a position or remotely ready to do anything about it, he selfishly wanted to keep Lisbon in limbo. His only consolation was that Adam was far too professional to make a move while Lisbon was still a client.

"So Patrick, any progress with the video footage?" Adam homed straight in on the critical point.

"Yes, but it's not what we wanted to hear." He sighed deeply before breaking the news to them."The storage media has all been returned to the original owners but it has all been wiped clean. Either SAC PD have just copied them or the evidence has been destroyed, unless the footage is disclosed, which we all know is unlikely, we have no means of independently verifying our version of events."

"Can't say I'm wholly surprised," Adam looked increasingly serious. "What about the private footage, will the owners vouch for its veracity?"

Jane grimaced hating to be the bearer of yet more bad news. "It gets worse on that front, they are now saying we obtained the footage by deception and it's highly likely it would not be admitted as evidence."

Adam played one last card."What about the EMT's, surely they saw something?"

"Sorry Lisbon, I blame myself for this. I led Lisbon away from the car and the EMT's pulled up behind the vehicle and I doubt they actually saw the driver's side of the vehicle. I'll get Cho to double check though." Jane felt so annoyed they hadn't taken accident scene photos themselves, for sure it had been a fairly momentous day but he would never make that mistake again.

Lisbon placed her hand on top of his."It's OK Jane; it's not your fault. If they hadn't succeeded this time, I'm sure they would have found another way to get to me. I just wish I knew who it was because believe me I'd make the son of bitches pay for it."

Adams eyebrows arched as she transformed from comforter to avenger at the drop of a hat.

There was little good news for Lisbon in the coming weeks, the appointed Judge was one whose feathers had been ruffled by Jane in an earlier case and needless to say their evidence was quickly ruled inadmissible. Despite the circumstantial nature of the prosecution's evidence, the Judge ruled they had established their case sufficiently to proceed.

Adam took a pessimistic view of things, there were still options open to them but they were all expensive. The pill bottle could be forensically analysed to determine if it really was Lisbon's but in the absence of Lisbon's own tablets, they had to assume the actual bottle had been lifted from her home.

The paintwork on her car could be analysed to check for any chemical variance between the driver's side and the adjoining panels, unfortunately Lisbon had bought the car nearly new with some miles on the clock, so there could be holes in that argument.

If found guilty, it was unlikely Lisbon would serve a sentence but a fine and possible suspension of her license were likely and it would all add to the defamation of her character.

As her representative Adam felt obliged to point out that the best course of action was to try and plea bargain.

Lisbon just held her head in her hands, it was hard to rationalize the situation she was in; she turned to Jane with a defeated look in her eyes. "What do I do Jane, can you help me?"

It tore Jane apart, seeing all her dreams shattered in the carnage of the accident. He held his hand up for quiet, before disclosing the germ of an idea that he had been mulling over for a few days. "You won't like this one bit Lisbon but I'm 99 percent sure it will work. I need to make some calls to just check we can do this, but if we are successful you won't have to worry about the trial. You would just be a spectator in this particular play Lisbon but I need you to trust me on this."

* * *

 **A/N** I hope this is not moving along too slowly. I realise Jenkins probably would not cover everything but for the purposes of the story it's simpler to have one character.


	3. Chapter 3 : The Sisterhood

**Chapter 3: The Sisterhood**

Karen Cross looked immaculate from the ankles up, the trainers she wore for comfort off air looked a bit incongruous with her designer clothes and they always amused Jane, who waited as she finished an intense conversation with her producer about their next episode. There was clearly a difference of opinion about something and Jane pitied the poor man trying to put his case.

Karen acknowledged Jane in the distance as she got her things together, before making her way over to him in her own good time. She was perhaps one of the few women not to be bowled over by his looks, to Karen people were either useful or not useful and her interest in Jane was purely based on his potential appeal as a telegenic and diverting guest.

Annoying as the Max Winter incident had been at the time, Karen soon brushed off her irritation with Jane when she realised it made terrific viewing and had cemented her reputation as a controversial host.

"So Patrick it's unusual of you to contact me, how can I help?" She was businesslike as ever, with no time for pleasantries.

"Karen, nice to see you too." Jane replied with a smirk on his face before starting his pitch. "Perhaps I can interest you in a story of subversion and institutionalised discrimination in law enforcement?"

Karen looked sceptical."Hmm, I have to say it's not living up to its billing. I'd much rather talk about your trial and how you got acquitted. That was some defence, I can't believe Ardiles let you off the hook - believe me I'd have nailed you good and proper. Guilty as charged."

"Nice try Karen but there's no chance of that and if you've any sense you will steer clear of anything to do with Red John." He said in all seriousness.

"But he's dead, what's the worst that can happen?" Karen looked at him curiously.

"Believe me he has many followers who won't want his name defamed. In all seriousness Karen, take it from one who has learned the hard way, leave Red John alone." Jane seriously hoped she didn't go off on a tangent; he had to keep her focussed.

"Karen, you remember my partner Lisbon, the 'pocket rocket' cop? Well somehow she's fallen foul of the top brass and they're conspiring to get rid of her. Coincidentally her old female boss was also forced out and is now in hiding in fear for her life. Teresa actually took a bullet from a corrupt agent while trying to save her boss, but that's all swept under the carpet and somehow it's Lisbon on the rack. If you ask me it all smacks of misogyny, a lot of the female agents are up in arms about what is going on." Jane checked to see if she was taking the bait.

Karen just shrugged noncommittally waiting for him to continue, she still wasn't sold on the idea.

"Just imagine the story you could whip up about systematic sexism and abuse in law enforcement, so deeply ingrained that they will even fabricate incriminating evidence against their one of their own. Witnesses are being harassed to suppress evidence, which would save a cop who has laid her life on the line so many times to save others.

"Hell, I bet the people whose lives she has changed would be lining up to sing her praises.

"Remember Maya Plaskett, saved by Teresa Lisbon. McTeer the child murderer apprehended and brought to justice by Teresa Lisbon. Not forgetting who risked their own life to defuse a bomb rather than leave a young girl to die, of course that would be Teresa Lisbon. I could go on and on.

"Just think how many female cops are out there just waiting to tell their story, it wouldn't take much to have the state building besieged by the activists .Can you imagine the national coverage this would get you - it would be catnip for the feminists.

"Word to the wise though, target Bertram. He's a political animal if you get him cornered he'll turn with the tide of public opinion and he's the one with influence."

"Well you sell a good story Patrick but what's in it for you?" Karen perceptively commented.

"I'll be honest, I do have a vested interest in this, it takes a long time to break in a new partner and I'm used to Lisbon. Just one thing though Karen, I can't be seen to be involved in the exposé." Jane guessed she was hooked now and he could see her brain starting to tick over.

In truth, Karen was largely disinterested in women's rights unless they affected her directly. She could however recognize a good story when she heard one. Having used a combination of her fierce adversarial skills and feminine wiles to get on, she rather enjoyed being the alpha woman in a man's world. No one had helped her ascend the greasy pole and she saw no need to give those less fortunate than herself a helping hand. However if there was something in it for Karen, she would happily act the committed feminist. Karen was nothing, if not predictable.

* * *

This had been a hard sell to Lisbon, she wasn't over enamored at the prospect of being in the limelight and had little time for Karen's tawdry tactics. Adam had finally swayed Lisbon to agree when he painted a gloomy picture of the alternative; he suggested it was worth a shot as she had little to lose.

Jane knew Lisbon was really going to hate him when the show went to air, but that was a price worth paying, knowing he would have Bertram eating out of their hands by the end of the week.

The agreement was that none of the team would be implicated and in return Karen would get the nod on breaking stories. Bertram was no fool, he would guess who was behind all this but would be powerless to do anything. If Jane could work this properly, he may even be able to manipulate it so that Bertram came across as the guy that saved the day.

* * *

Ideally Jane would have kept well away from Lisbon while the program aired, but she had insisted the team all watch it together. Jane ruefully remembered the time she had punched him and made a mental note to stay well out of her reach. It was not going to be comfortable viewing.

The titles came up and the theme tune played with the mantra "We're going to nail them to the cross. The Karen Cross."

Karen, true to her word, sold the story for all she had got, her mock outrage was truly convincing. She recounted the story of the brave cop, who was wounded in defense of her colleague and how the heartless authorities delivered the news of her suspension as she lay in her hospital bed.

There was an audible intake of breath from the audience that encouraged Karen to ramp up the rhetoric.

However back at Lisbon's there was a distinct chill in the air as Lisbon's eyes narrowed and she looked accusingly in Jane's direction.

Cross cited Lisbon's exemplary record and played up the St Teresa aspect, before listing her acts of bravery to the mounting support of the audience.

"This woman has been kidnapped, been shot, had a bomb strapped to her, all in the name of law and order but having conducted a covert operation to unearth a corrupt agent, the forces within law enforcement have turned against her.

"I ask you, is this woman the criminal?" The producers whipped the audience into a frenzy.

The audience resoundingly responded "No!"

"Despite being lauded by her colleagues and the people she has helped, she now faces being thrown on the scrap heap and having to face trumped up charges against her. Can this be right?"

"No!" the shout went up.

"You tell me, where is the justice in that? Our corrupt leaders prosper at our expense, but an honest cop is thrown to the wolves because she dares to follow her instincts. There is a whiff of corruption about all this. Is Agent Lisbon the victim of a conspiracy? Is law enforcement endemically misogynistic? Are they incapable of seeing women as anything other than whores or mothers?

"It must be hard having a voice in that environment or as Betty Davis once put it. When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch."

Spontaneous applause broke out in the studio audience; Karen had played them like a violin.

Jane watched the team's response from Lisbon's living room; Grace had signed up to the story and was ready to storm the state buildings, she joined in shouting "No!" with the audience. Cho and Rigsby shuffled uncomfortably feeling guilty by association with their gender, while Jane kept a wary eye on the smouldering heroine of the hour, whose eyes rolled at the hyperbole.

The remainder of the show was more low key, devoted to the in depth stories of other aggrieved female cops who had left or been forced out. The suggestion of misogyny and corruption was firmly stamped in the viewers minds.

Karen rounded off by saying, "I just want to point out that Agent Lisbon and her team members all refused to have anything to do with this program, apparently it's against regulations and the cop in her still insists on obeying the rules."

* * *

Lisbon's fury finally broke. "What the fuck was that? Who the hell is going to believe that crap?"

Jane tilted his head in Grace's direction.

"You are joking Van Pelt? Please tell me that woman hasn't blinded you with her crazy rhetoric." The rant continued.

Grace just shrugged, it had sounded alright to her.

Jane intervened at this point. "That crazy woman has just saved your bacon. She sold the story, if Grace bought it, so will everyone else. Bertram won't know what's hit him tomorrow, when he faces the media crap storm. Mark my words Lisbon, you'll be back at your desk before the week is out."

The team looked apprehensively at the two of them, just waiting for the fallout. Lisbon just harrumphed before falling back into her sofa with a scowl on her face. Much as she hated it, she silently acknowledged that may have done the trick. Lisbon knew this was just an angle to pressurize Bertram into action but the duplicity did not sit well with her.

* * *

The mainstream press soon latched on to the story, Karen naturally was at the forefront of the crusade. She pushed her microphone in Bertram's face, as she demanded to know what they were going to do about the situation. The crowds jeered as he started to talk, it was all getting out of hand. Some of the clerical staff at City Hall had already walked out in sympathy and the discontent was spreading among the female city workers.

Bertram had not got to that position without knowing how to turn a tricky situation into a winning hand. "Karen, I'm so glad you asked me that. Can I just say I am appalled by these allegations. I assure you, this will not be allowed to continue on my watch. I've launched an immediate investigation into these allegations and will be meeting Agent Lisbon personally to sort out what is clearly a most unfortunate misunderstanding."

The call for Lisbon soon came from Bertram's office, he insisted on seeing her alone." I see you are learning how to play the game at last Agent Lisbon, fortunately for you things have not turned out too badly. You're reinstated but I should warn you that your future actions will be closely monitored. Just remember, if you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by. That will be all Agent." Bertram was the ultimate pragmatist, he had seized opportunity from the midst of chaos and had come out of the affair relatively unscathed, and reinstating Lisbon was a small price to pay. He had no doubt there would be ample opportunities to even that score.

Lisbon repeated the conversation to Jane. "No need to worry on that score Lisbon, I'll soon find something on Bertram, he'll think twice about targeting you again. Although I have to say I am concerned this is only the beginning of an attempt to discredit you and the team. I know you think I'm paranoid but I've got a bad feeling about all this Lisbon. This was too well organised, something is going on and I don't know what." His frown relayed his concern, as he tossed ideas around in his head to no avail.

"I suppose I really ought to thank you." Lisbon's lips twitched as she recalled the debacle of the last few days. Only Jane would come up with a scheme as ludicrous but effective as that.

Jane smiled back at her and softly said, "I told you Lisbon, I will always save you."

* * *

Jane had some unfinished business to wrap up with Adam but naturally they got round to discussing the events of the last few days.

"So Patrick that was certainly a novel solution, there is still something of the showman about you." Adam observed with amusement.

"Needs must Adam, when the system is rigged you need to think out of the box." Jane had been surprised how readily Adam had accepted his scheme.

"You must think a lot of Teresa, to put yourself out like that." Adam started his interrogation slowly.

"What's not to like? She has been a great friend to me and it's largely my fault she's in this position." Jane didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"Just a friend Patrick? I sensed something deeper between you." The interrogation continued.

"There's always a deep connection between working partners, it wouldn't work without trust." Jane replied somewhat irritably.

"And there's nothing else?" The probing was unrelenting.

"No, you know I'm not ready for that." Jane replied tetchily.

Adam laughed."That's what Teresa said as well."

Jane laughed nervously. "Oh, so you've been talking to Teresa about me."

"Yes, she said you are too involved in your quest for revenge and she doubts that you'll ever be able to love again." Adam observed Jane's response with interest.

"What did you say?" Jane asked with some trepidation, Adam could be cuttingly blunt at times.

"I said that guilt romanticizes the reality of a relationship. In order to stay true to your guilt, it's sometimes necessary to gloss over the reality of the situation. The guilt needs to be firmly underpinned, to ensure normal feelings of intimacy and hope can't break through." Adam waited for Jane to react.

Jane started tapping his legs in agitation before snapping, "you've no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh really Patrick? Don't forget I was there. I saw the cracks. I know you loved each other but it wasn't a bed of roses all the time.

"Of course, it's up to you if you want to keep punishing yourself. Just remember Red John killed your family not you. If you want to be the tragic grieving widower, that's your choice, but don't be blind to the effect that has on other people."

Adam paused before smiling crookedly. "Incidentally Teresa didn't agree with me either - you sure there's nothing going on there?"

"Of course not." Jane snapped, though his heart sank. He suspected he had just given Adam the green light to make a move on Lisbon, when the time was right.


	4. Chapter 4 : Mounting Pressure

**Chapter 4: Mounting pressure**

Lisbon had felt bad for Ray; this situation was not of his making so she was relieved when he was given the opportunity to head up a unit in Organised Crimes. To show her appreciation of the way Ray had handled it all, Lisbon had treated Ray to lunch. She had deliberately chosen lunchtime so Ray could not remotely look on it as a date, she did not want to give him any encouragement on that front. They laughingly exchanged Jane stories and Ray expressed his admiration at the way she managed Jane. Lisbon smiled and explained that no one actually managed Jane unless he wanted to be managed; it was all about finding a suitable framework for him to work in and minimising the collateral damage.

They returned to the office in good humour, Jane raised his head from his book and looked enquiringly at her. Lisbon just deadpanned him, walking past with a hint of a smile on her face, choosing to let him stew for a while.

Jane relaxed in the knowledge that everything was back in its rightful place, Lisbon was the focus of their solar system and they were like moons reflecting the light that came from her star. All too often people underestimated what Lisbon brought to the table, as she was routinely eclipsed by Jane. However she was the gravity that pulled them all together, each finding the chance to shine in their respective orbit, though some orbits were undeniably more eccentric than others. Jane of course was Mercury, quicksilver, set apart by his mental acuity and his habit of flying closest to his Sun.

The cases had all been fairly mundane in the last week, so they were concentrating on some cold cases that kept them in the office and led to more reasonable working hours for a change. The team all went their own way after work. Grace was still coming to terms with what had happened with Craig and had no interest in socialising. Rigsby was now involved with Sarah and Cho gave nothing away about his private life, if he could help it. Surprisingly Jane and Lisbon found themselves alone together more than ever. They would occasionally eat out together or enjoy a takeout in the office, enjoying each other's company but neither really scratching below the surface of the other one. They were so used to being self contained that sharing did not come easy. Free of the yoke of work they were both entertaining and enjoyed their mutual teasing but neither showed any inclination to tread into dangerous territory, it was just the way they were.

* * *

Grace did not seem to be coping well and it bothered Jane to see her so ill at ease, there were shadows under her eyes and she veered between anger and despair. Jane knew it was natural that she would be bitter after all that had happened with Craig but this was different. Jane had developed an avuncular relationship with Grace over the years; he was genuinely fond of her and she could talk to him about things she wouldn't discuss with the others. They felt a closer kinship as fellow victims of Red John but Grace was closing herself off from the team, including Jane.

Craig had distanced Grace from the team to a degree, saying they were just her colleagues and he was her friend, making it seem like a choice between them and him. In retrospect it was clear that was all part of his strategy, consequently Jane had never had the chance to really get to know or more importantly read Craig. Jane kicked himself for that oversight, although there were no guarantees things would have turned out differently.

Jane noticed Grace often came back to her desk a bit flustered and edgy, she would throw herself into her work refusing to lift her head unless spoken to. There were always silly little things happening, mementos and personal things would go missing off her desk, people would brush by her desk sending her papers flying, Grace never said a word she would just mechanically pick the papers up before returning to her work. If Cho or Rigsby saw it they would shout after the culprits, who would feign innocent and apologise. None of these incidents amounted to much but the tension was slowly being ratcheted up. Jane observed it all from his sofa, wondering why the redhead did not react.

This morning Grace had looked particularly flushed and pink eyed when she came back to her desk and Jane knew he had to do something about it. In an act of genuine concern Rigsby had placed his hand on her arm and she recoiled in revulsion at his touch. Poor Rigsby had not known where to put himself, he just muttered his apology and made his was out of the office.

Jane had his suspicions what was going on, but decided to keep a closer eye on Grace and made a point of keeping track of her around the CBI buildings. Nothing of concern happened for the first couple of days but then he noticed her being hustled by a couple of guys from Vice by the water cooler, the menace was unmistakable. He hung back out of view, as they walked away laughing at her discomfort. He heard one of them spit out, just loud enough for Grace to hear, "no wonder O'Loughlin tried to shoot the freaking bitch." Jane was starting to get the picture, it would be awkward but he would try and have a word with Grace, the next time they were alone.

He returned to his sofa patiently waiting his opportunity. "Are you going to tell me what's going on Grace and don't deny it, I saw what went on at the water cooler." He decided it was better to push her than beat about the bush.

She flushed angrily, "it's none of your business, just leave me alone."

This was not going to be easy. "Come on Grace, you can talk to me. You may feel better talking about it."

"Since when have you ever discussed anything? I've told you Jane, I don't want to talk." She resolutely turned her head back to her screen; Jane knew there was no point pursuing it at this juncture. He would have a word with Cho to keep an eye on her; he did not trust Rigsby to keep a cool head where Grace was concerned.

When the guys came back to the office, he made his way to Lisbon's office and stood in the doorway out of earshot of the team and started. "Hey Lisbon, I think we need to talk about Grace."

Lisbon lifted her eyes from the mountain of paperwork in front of her. "You've noticed as well have you?"

Jane bit back a sarcastic comment; he wouldn't be a very good mentalist if he hadn't noticed. "Yes, I've tried talking to her but she just pushes me away. This has been going on for a while. There have been lots of little events, harmless in themselves, but they could build up into something more malevolent and there's just been another incident that looked altogether more menacing."

Lisbon looked up at him and paused before admitting," I did wonder if it might be something along those lines. For what it's worth, she's not the only one getting it but given my seniority the lower ranked guys won't push me too far, they know I'll bite back."

She never ceased to amaze Jane; he hadn't guessed there was anything going on that front. She interrupted him as he tried to talk. "Look, it's always been there. You have to have a thick skin in this profession, the perps will routinely try it on with you but even I've noticed that around work there's more crowding and unwarranted physical contact, especially in the lifts, and you feel as if you are being watched in the car park. I'm fairly immune to it; I've always got my _friend_ with me if things get out of hand." She patted her holster and smiled sardonically, he knew she would have no hesitation drawing it if the situation demanded it. "However I do feel remiss in not bringing this up with Grace earlier. I guess she's still quite vulnerable and is seen as any easy target."

"She may just feel embarrassed discussing it with me; she would feel more empathy it coming from you." Jane observed.

Lisbon sagely responded."Look don't go reading any of your misogyny crap into this, it won't be long before they turn their attention to the rest of the team. At the moment Grace and I are just the easiest targets."

"Actually I agree Lisbon, when we've sorted Grace out we need to talk to the rest of the team." Jane's brow was furrowed wondering how to say the next bit without getting his head bitten off. "Lisbon, make sure you keep that _friend_ with you, especially in the car park late at night. I'm worried how far they will go."

She was about to make a stinging comment but recognised his concern was genuine and responded more gently. "Jane, I'm a cop, I'm trained to look after myself and I'm not going to take any risks. It's Grace we need to concentrate on."

A conversation with Grace revealed that she was routinely being hassled, there had been a couple of unsavoury incidents which had particularly shaken her but it had gone beyond the confines of work, she knew she was being followed and was feeling very vulnerable. Lisbon explained that she had experienced it to a lesser degree and assured Grace it was not personal, more part of a larger grudge against the team. Grace had dreaded losing her composure in front of Lisbon, who was her role model, but Lisbon calmly talked her down suggesting practical precautions and by the end of the conversation Grace felt much more assured. It didn't mean that the incidents were going to stop, but knowing she wasn't alone bolstered her courage and she took her lead from her intrepid boss.

Grace mouthed a silent thank you to Jane as she went back to her desk, it was evident he had played some part in this. He just nodded noncommittally and went back to his reading.

* * *

Whenever Rigsby thought no one was watching his eyes would follow Grace's movements, naturally it did not escape Cho's watchful eyes, who would give a barely perceptible shake of his head and carry on with his work.

Rigsby had been with Sarah for six months now; she was self deprecating, intelligent and easy on the eye ... but she wasn't Grace.

It hadn't bothered Rigsby too much at first; he knew Grace had issues to sort out after O'Laughlin. Rigsby was there as a friend, but when Sarah announced she was pregnant he started to feel a bit trapped. Wayne had been coming to the conclusion, that although she was an amusing diversion, there was little future with Sarah, the affection he felt for her never even bordered on love. There had been no declarations from either side, so he had assumed it was casual for Sarah as well. There had been no hint of domesticity about her but she undeniably wanted this child. Wayne was a decent man and he could not walk away from the situation, he always swore that he would never behave like his own father had done.

Rigsby steeled himself to do the right thing and duly presented himself to Sarah, who much to his surprise declined his proposal. It was almost as if she wanted the baby more than Wayne. The ongoing pregnancy was awkward, they played at being partners but were clearly uncomfortable in the roles; they did all the things prospective parents would do, even planning out a family home.

When Grace had first seen him reading the pregnancy book, he felt decidedly embarrassed. Although she said all the right things, she was strangely wistful and perhaps a tad jealous. Now seeing Grace struggling and in need of support, Rigsby yearned to reach out to her but after being rebuffed earlier and with his new found commitments, his sense of propriety held him back but he felt guilty about not being there for her.

Jane watched Wayne's travails from a distance; he felt truly sorry for the big man and empathised with his situation. It was clear that Grace and Wayne were meant for each other but they had to work this out for themselves, in the mean time Jane and Lisbon would give Grace the support she so clearly needed.

* * *

Although Jane was not noted for his physical bravery, he made a point of being around when Lisbon left for the day, silently taking the stairs down to the car park, so he could check she got away safely. He knew his concerns would not be welcome, so he kept as discrete as possible.

After a couple of weeks he was on the verge of giving that up, when he saw a shadowy masked figure follow Lisbon across the car park, a couple of other figures appeared from the shadows and before she had time to react, they had pushed her up against her car.

Knowing he had to act quickly, he advanced forward and stood behind a support pillar, racking his brain how best to create a diversion. Years of stagecraft had taught him how to project his voice, so he bellowed out, "I've got a gun trained on you, put your hands up and step away now." Their heads shot round to see who was speaking, giving Lisbon long enough to place a well aimed blow to the nether regions of her immediate captor and allowing her to swipe her gun from her holster and aim it at the others. Jane emerged smiling from his hiding place, walking straight into the path of one of the assailants who swiftly captured Jane to use as a shield. In the ensuing standoff Lisbon's attackers backed away to a safe distance, holding Jane by his neck to keep him in place, before they finally despatched him away with a parting blow to his face, as they made their escape.

His head cracked against the concrete pillar as he fell down and he was temporarily dazed but he still managed to register Lisbon hastily rearranging her clothing, he did not know what had happened but didn't like the look of that.

"The bastards, if I ever find out who they are, they'll pay for this." She eyed her dazed consultant with part concern, part amusement.

Although things had got a bit too personal this time, she knew it was just intimidation but it served as a reminder that it could have gotten really serious. Her reaction was one of anger rather than fear, annoyed that she had let herself get in that position. She comforted herself with the thought that if they had seriously intended to hurt or kill her, they wouldn't have bothered wearing masks.

She knelt down to check Jane over; he was nursing a split lip and was extremely pale. After a few checks she was satisfied he didn't need to go to hospital but she couldn't leave him by himself.

"Come on Jane, get in the car. You're coming home with me."

He looked up through bleary eyes.

"The car. Now." She held out a helping hand, as he gingerly got up and opened the door for him.

"S'ok Lisbon I'm fine." He murmured.

"Look the choice is car or hospital - make your mind up."

He resignedly went along with her and before long was sitting in Lisbon's living room, wincing as she applied antiseptic to his split lip.

"Really Jane, if you are going to play the hero, you've got to learn to put up with a bit of pain." She said with a twinkle in her eye. Lisbon was pleased to note the colour was gradually returning to his face but she guessed he would ache like hell in the morning. She put a cup of tea in front of him then disappeared upstairs before coming down with some pillows, a cover and some nightclothes.

"Go upstairs and change. These are Tommy's from the last time he visited, I'll see what I can do to clean up your suit, just leave your clothes by the door while you shower."

Jane remerged washed and changed; he looked distinctly uncomfortable without his armour on and whined recalcitrantly, "honestly Lisbon, I could have gone home."

"..and I would have been phoning you every few hours to check you weren't concussed, at least this way we'll both have some rest. Anyhow I wouldn't trust you not to go back to the CBI, you need to rest up properly. Have you been following me every night?" She tentatively asked, his embarrassment gave her the answer, she squeezed his shoulder gently by way of a thank you.

Jane bashfully looked into her face. "Well my heroics didn't exactly go to plan."

"You did the best you could in the circumstances, so thank you. It bothers me that could have been Grace, maybe we ought to make sure Cho leaves with her at night." As usual she brushed off concerns for her own safety. Although Lisbon knew that Jane had noticed her wardrobe malfunction, she wasn't about to tell him what they had threatened to do to her and certainly did not want Grace to be put in that position.

Despite the pain Jane slept better than he had done for ages, although he was decidedly stiff and creaky in the morning. He followed her into the CBI building a bit sheepishly, wondering how they were going to handle the situation.

Cho just took one look at Jane's split lip and turned to Lisbon. "What did he say?"

Lisbon smirked and raised her hands "Not me this time guys. Give me some credit, I would never have left a mark." They all had a good laugh at Jane's expense.

Lisbon added more seriously "Actually Jane was attacked trying to help me; I was cornered in the car park last night. We are going to have make sure we leave in pairs in the short term, it could have happened to any of us."

The mood dampened as the realisation of the situation hit home.


	5. Chapter 5 : The Black Dog

**Chapter 5: The Black Dog**

Despite the lull in activities, Jane knew the threat was ever present. He was increasingly convinced there was a conspiracy that ran through law enforcement and the judiciary, even if he hadn't worked out the underlying motivation.

Their last case had been a slam dunk, but when it went to court it had been thrown out because the forensics had been compromised and not by Jane for a change. Partridge's apologies had sounded hollow; Jane didn't believe a word of it.

The Fraser case that currently occupied them was also progressing slowly, as the chief suspect had managed to evade custody. When SAC PD tipped them off that he had been sighted at the old Cavendish Brewery, Cho and Rigsby lost no time following it up.

As it happened, Lisbon was having a rare weekend off and had left Cho in charge. Jane wasn't much use to anyone, he was crabby and uncharacteristically boorish with the rest of the team, who had no idea what was going on. Cho just decided he wasn't in any fit state to work in the field, so he left Jane in the office with Van Pelt.

As much as Jane had tried to disguise it, the black dog of depression hit him as soon as he saw a newly groomed Lisbon leave for her long weekend. She had not proffered any information about her plans and he had not asked, but he knew his parting salvo as she left had been out of order. Of course, she might have been meeting an old friend, but she was distinctly uncommunicative and Jane knew better than to ask, especially when he suspected he already knew the answer.

Jane had expected Adam to make a move on Lisbon at some stage and now that Lisbon was no longer a client, he had no qualms meeting her socially. Adam was based near Malibu and only made occasional trips out this way, so Jane knew their contact would be limited and wouldn't lead to anything. However he tried to rationalise it, the thought of Lisbon being with someone else just ate away at him. She deserved to be wined and dined and treated like a woman for once; Jane knew that he should be happy for her to have a diversion but selfishly he resented it.

* * *

Cho and Rigsby were waiting for SAC PD to provide back up at the brewery, but when they realised the front entrance of the building was slightly ajar, they decided to go in alone. They proceeded cautiously, although they guessed the suspect had long since gone. It was an old brick built building that had been marked for demolition, the windows were boarded up and the locality was completely deserted at this time of night.

The brewery had long since been stripped bare of anything of use. They found signs of habitation with discarded bottles and needles; no doubt it was a refuge for the local junkies, although Cho thought you would have to be pretty desperate to use this place. They advanced silently deep into the bowels of the old building, which had a life of its own as it creaked in response to the cold autumn air, making the place even more oppressive than before.

There was no sign of any intruder and the agents were about to call it a day when they heard a door slam. They quickly made their way to the source of the noise and as they drew nearer there was a distinct smell of smoke. Cho and Rigsby looked anxiously at each other, guessing they had been lead into a trap. Sure enough the front door was closed and a fire was taking hold, barring access to the exit.

Rigsby rationalised that as the building had been stripped bare the fire would take a while to take hold, although the nearby timbers were already starting to smoulder. They swore profusely, realising their stupidity in not casing the premises properly before entering, lured in by the part opened door. They called Van Pelt and got her to organise backup. As soon as Jane realised there was a problem, he roused himself from his lassitude and grabbed the phone off Van Pelt and took control.

"Right just visualise the building, were there any other entrances or windows?" It was important to keep them focussed.

"We only saw the front and that was boarded up," came back the reply.

"Surely there would have to be a fire exit somewhere, perhaps at the back of the building?" He was trying to jog their memories.

"I can't recall one but it's most likely been boarded over." Cho stoically replied.

"Ok. No matter, what about a cellar or a loading bay?" Jane was urging them to think rationally and not panic.

"There was an arch at the side of the building, that probably led to a loading area." Rigsby observed.

"Good. Make your way to the back of the building. Close every door as you go, to contain the fire as long as possible." That was sound advice Rigsby noted.

There was the slight smell of stale beer as they went deeper into the brewery; finally they found themselves in a warehouse area at the back of the building.

"Over there." Cho shouted, as he spotted the double doors that led to the outside world. "Damn, it's no used Jane they're solid."

"Is there anything you could use as a battering ram – any old casks or kegs?" Jane suggested.

"Nothing, it's all stripped bare," Cho responded.

Grace shouted out an update; the fire brigade would be there in about ten minutes.

Putting his arson expertise to work, Rigsby guessed it would take much longer than that for the whole building to catch fire, although the smoke was starting to permeate through the whole brewery.

Jane tried to visualise what a brewery would look like. "Check the floor – look for some hatch doors in the floor. A building like that would normally have a cellar."

They played their torches on the floor of the warehouse, the floor was thick with dirt and dust and it took them a while to find the doors, which lead them down to the cellar. There were bars on the broken windows that let in some fresh air, but Rigsby knew the fresh air would only feed the fire when it eventually arrived.

"Normally there would be some means of loading the barrels – are there some stairs or ramps? If there are, there may be another opening." Jane continued his logical thought process.

"Got it." Cho shouted, as he spotted the loading hatch. Needless to say it was barred, so he looked around for some implements to try and lever it open. It was not quite as solid as the main doors and they may stand a chance with it.

The cellar had not been cleared out and there were some old kegs and equipment scattered around. The hatches just bounced as they rammed them with the kegs, those old wooden doors were made to last. The smoke was beginning to encroach on the cellar, but they were unwilling to close the doors in case they got trapped by falling debris.

The agents looked for any tools that they could use to lever the hatches open. Rigsby found an old cooper's adze, a relic from the days when breweries made their own barrels. He began to work away, trying to dislodge the hinges. It was taking too long, so they tried shooting the wood around the hinges, to get more leverage with the adze. Finally the first hinge broke loose from the door – it was hard and laborious work hampered by the smoke.

They paused as they heard the sound of sirens, soon followed by the voices of approaching firemen. Grace had told them exactly where to find Cho and Rigsby, so it wasn't long before the sound of splintering wood signalled the opening of the hatches and the two agents were safe.

Jane hadn't really done anything apart from getting them to think clearly; he let out a huge sigh of relief once he knew they were safe. He felt ashamed of his petulance earlier in the day.

The EMTs checked the agents over but apart from some mild smoke inhalation, they were none the worse for wear. Grace hugged them both when they got back to the office, ignoring Cho's aversion to unsolicited contact.

Jane had refused to contact Lisbon to let her know what had happened and had left it in Cho's hands. Eventually they all agreed that the Boss needed a break and there was no point disturbing her after the event. They steeled themselves for the inevitable repercussions, knowing Lisbon would not be happy about that.

* * *

Rigsby and Cho exchanged knowing looks as Lisbon strode purposefully through the office.

"Boss got a new date?" Rigsby ventured.

"Looks like it." Cho noted Lisbon had a definite spring in her step and her grooming was slightly more finessed than usual.

Grace defensively piped up that it was none of their business; she hated any prurient speculation about Lisbon's private life. She tilted her head in Jane's direction meaningfully to get them to drop the subject. Jane lay on his sofa feigning sleep, he had no desire whatsoever to be drawn into this conversation.

Jane smiled at the outburst of fury, as Cho updated Lisbon on the events of the weekend. Her initial anger soon turned to concern, as she came into the bullpen to check that Rigsby was alright.

Jane was conspicuously keeping out of Lisbon's way; apart from a brief acknowledgement when she passed by, he had kept his head buried in some files. Lisbon looked over in Jane's direction, surprised he hadn't at least given her the heads up before she came in. She could tell there was something off with him. They started to review what had happened at the brewery but Jane just ignored what was going on, Lisbon's patience was starting to run out.

"Any chance of you joining us Jane, or you taking some time out?" She quipped sarcastically.

"I'm thinking. I can listen from here, if there is anything worth hearing." Jane stared resolutely at Elvis, refusing to engage with her.

Cho just shrugged. "He's been like this all weekend, apart from helping us at the brewery."

Lisbon was starting to get irritated and her cynicism got the better of her. "What a hero."

Jane's lips pursed; her sarcasm just added to his ill humour. She wasn't getting him to bite that way. He just stood up, brushed himself down, clearly intending to take his empty cup to the kitchen area. "You're just wasting your time, let it go." He coldly stated.

Lisbon took the bait."So we just sit here and accept that people can take pot shots at us and let it go?"

He stared icily at her. "That's exactly what I'm saying. I've already checked it out, all you will find are dead ends. There is nothing to be gained by following it. Nada, zilch, zip." He added provocatively, before turning abruptly and walking away.

Lisbon fumed. "What the hell's got into him?" Cho and Grace had guessed what his problem was and were surprised the Boss couldn't see it. Did she really have no idea?

* * *

Jane continued to avoid Lisbon, going out in the field with Cho and Rigsby rather than hanging round the office. He pushed the witnesses much too hard to provoke a reaction, the complaints filtered through to Lisbon, who knew she had to deal with this sometime. He would disappear with the rest of the team in the evenings, no longer hanging round for a quiet chat, although she suspected he might be taking refuge in the attic.

For all his contrariness, Jane was genuinely struggling to shake off this bout of melancholia. Jealousy was undoubtedly a factor, but his usual sense of loss was somehow heightened by the realisation that Lisbon might actually consider moving on without him. She had been his rock, he needed her more than he realised.

Cho eventually lost patience and confronted him."Look, either do something about it or leave her alone."

Jane glared at him. "I've no idea what you're talking about."

Cho deadpanned. "Some Mentalist eh?"

Jane harrumphed and stared resolutely out the window.

Undeterred, Cho pressed his point. "How's the Boss supposed to know how you feel? If you're not prepared to do anything about it just let her get on with her own life."

Jane steadfastly ignored Cho's comment and hastily bid a retreat to the attic on their return. Of course Cho was right but it worried Jane that he had been so transparent; if they could read him so easily, so could anyone else.

Lisbon collared Cho, to ask where Jane was. "Attic I guess, hiding as usual." Cho was as succinct as ever.

"What the hell is up with him?" Lisbon muttered, as much to herself as to anyone else.

"You're a detective, work it out. Just think when this all started Boss."Cho thought some straight talking was in order.

Lisbon was taken aback at Cho's response; he rarely addressed her like that. She cast her mind back to the start of Jane's current bout of peevishness, then flushed as she realised the cause of it.

Cho immediately noticed the change in her demeanour. "Case closed," he muttered ironically, as he made his way back to his desk.

Lisbon walked away, mumbling to herself about the ridiculousness of it all, before shutting herself away in her office. She went through a range of emotions, anger being the driving one. What right had Jane got to get uptight about her private life? She had been discrete and hadn't exactly advertised what was going on.

What did it matter to Jane anyhow? He had no right to be proprietorial about her, anyhow it was not as if he had shown any interest in her. Jane was strictly off limits; he had made that abundantly clear whenever anyone tried to get close to him. In his eyes he was still married and that made him a no go zone.

They had a familial affection for each other, but he had given her no inkling of any deeper feelings. OK the hand lingered a bit longer these days, but apart from that nothing.

The anger started to kick in again, when she reflected that he wanted her to stay in limbo just because he wasn't ready to move on. After all, who knew what would happen if they ever caught Red John. Jane could be imprisoned or worse if he saw his revenge through and he was unlikely to get away with it a second time.

Lisbon had long put aside her personal feelings for Jane. She did not deny them, but there was no point beating herself up over a lost cause.

While she had been with Adam she tried to banish him from her thoughts, but she inevitably contrasted Adam's masculinity and directness with Jane's sensitivity and sophistry. There was something primal about Adam that appealed to her baser instincts, but she saw it for what it was, there was nothing deep or romantic about it. They were scratching an itch, whereas as she imagined Jane would have played her like a musical instrument, eliciting the full range of notes and tones. It all started to feel a bit tawdry when she looked on it like that. Damn Jane for making her feel cheap!

Anyhow, in retrospect it didn't seem such a great idea dating one of Jane's friends; charming as Adam had been, they had spent half their time discussing Jane.

Lisbon was determined to sort things out with Jane, this was affecting the whole team, but she was damned if she was going to discuss her private life with him.

* * *

Cho announced they had a new case and Jane was about to go off with Cho and Rigsby until Lisbon came out of her office. "Jane with me. We'll meet you at the scene Cho."

Cho grimaced as he turned away, he was glad he wasn't going to be in that car.

"Any new thoughts on why the team has been targeted Jane?" She maintained a businesslike but not unfriendly stance.

"Lots of thoughts but no real answers," he stared out the window distractedly. "It has struck me that I've not been targeted yet, only the people around me."

"So do you think this is Red John?" At least he had started to talk to her again.

"No, not directly. It may be loosely associated but it's too drawn out for Red John. He would have gone for the kill by now, if he intended to do something."

She could see he was conflicted, she hated to see him this depressed. Although she was still angry with him, she knew that he couldn't entirely help himself.

"Do you have any idea what we should do next?" She gently enquired.

"I do actually and I think it needs to be done as soon as possible." He turned and looked at her purposefully."I think I need to take a leave of absence and see if things calm down. I'm putting the team in danger by my presence and quite apart from that I have some personal things to attend to. I'll be two or three weeks at the most." He smiled unconvincingly at her. "It's alright Teresa, don't worry. I won't do anything stupid."

Jane could see the dejected look on her face as she asked, "but where will you go?"

"I don't know. Maybe the coast, grab some sea air and try to get a few things sorted out." He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Will you call me?" Lisbon wasn't buying his explanation and didn't want him cut adrift.

"It's probably better if I don't Teresa, but if you need me please call me. You know I'll come back if anything serious crops up."

He took her hand and softly said "I need to do this Teresa, I'm suffocating at the moment and can't think straight. I'll be much more use to you when I've worked things through."

She felt a lump in her throat but stayed calm, if she were being honest a bit of distance wasn't a bad thing. They both had issues to deal with, but she hated him being cut off from the team. They were his family and the thought of him sliding back into his pit of despair troubled her.

"I'll text you Jane, just to check you're alright. Just text me back, one word will do. I just need to know you're OK."

He leant forward and kissed her forehead. "I'll be fine. You look after yourself as well. No late nights alone in the office. Look, I would rather not work this case. It's better if I go straight away, if that's OK?"

She nodded wearily, "I'll drop you off at the office. I'll miss you Jane, don't be long."

Jane collected his meagre belongings together, he said a quick goodbye to Grace assuring her he would be back soon and asked her to keep an eye on Lisbon for him, making her promise to call him if there were any problems.

* * *

Lisbon hated not knowing where he was. She would text him to check he was ok and he would dutifully send her a thumbs up back in reply. At least she knew he was safe, if nothing else. After a week he stopped responding, Lisbon could not help herself, she tried phoning but he didn't pick up. She decided to respect his privacy, as much as it hurt her.

After a few days she saw Adam's number flash up on her phone, she really did not want to take the call and sent it straight to answer phone. Out of curiosity she checked the message. "Hi Teresa, it's Adam here. Just wondering if you've heard from Patrick, he was supposed to meet me and hasn't turned up."

Lisbon hit redial and called Adam straight back. It transpired that Adam had contacted Jane before Jane had left, to tell him the house in Malibu had been vandalised. They had been due to meet up yesterday, but now Adam couldn't get hold of Jane.

Lisbon guessed where Jane was, she quickly called the team together and told them she was going to Malibu but would keep in touch with them. She kept redialling Jane's number as she drove but the calls just went straight to answer phone, either he was ignoring her or he was in trouble.

* * *

A/N This has been re-written so many times and I'm still not particularly convinced it works. It's a case of publish and be damned.


	6. Chapter 6 : Karma

**Chapter 6 : Karma**

Even after all this time Jane's stomach started churning as he pulled into the driveway of the neglected house in Malibu. Insensitive souls had approached Adam about its availability; the land alone was worth a fortune, even if the property were demolished. It appeared people were not put off by its ghoulish history in the slightest. The cachet of living in a prime location, outweighed any feelings of taste or sensibilities and the notoriety even added to its attraction for some; it would certainly be a talking point at a dinner party.

Jane rebuffed all offers, despite Adam's attempts to convince him of the logic for disposing of the house, thinking it was a macabre mausoleum for Jane's lost life. They all missed the point; Jane didn't go there to relive his past, the memories of Angela and Charlotte were etched into his memory palace and not in bricks and mortar. All personal effects were in storage and all that remained was a shell of a house; a bleak reminder of his hubris and culpability.

If his resolve ever wavered, Jane could go there to torture himself, to lie in his penitent cell on the mattress beneath the mocking red symbol. To relive the horror of that night, convincing himself he was doomed to suffer for the rest of his days. The guilt was transposed from Red John to himself, from the dark recesses of his memory he would recall the words of the prophet Isaiah.

 _"Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals,_ _  
_ _And brings out a weapon for its work;_ _  
_ _And I have created the destroyer to ruin."_

Although Jane saw himself as the creator, that would not stop him exacting revenge on the instrument of the heinous crime executed on his wife and child.

Jane would convince himself that he did not deserve to move on and would leave sadder but more resolute in his purpose. The desire for revenge still smouldering, having been stoked up by the fires of guilt.

The house had been damaged at the front; not the usual place you would expect a forced entry in full sight of the outside world. On closer inspection it was evident the damage was largely superficial, the building had not been breached. It was just gratuitous damage, designed to raise an alert.

Jane had suspected as much when Adam phoned, wondering if he would be walking into a trap. Of course he wasn't as naive as the team thought; he had come prepared. Max Winter's gift had made quite a few outings, when Jane was entering unknown territory. While he may not like firearms, they were a useful backup on his lonely quest, although he would happily rely on Lisbon to be his protector in the field.

Jane smiled to himself each time Lisbon's texts arrived, he missed her more than he cared to admit. Trying to isolate himself from these feelings of attachment, was one of the aims of the next few weeks. The veneer of detachment had been slipping, he had allowed himself to form attachments and he didn't deserve that.

In between the routine tasks around the house, there would be long walks along the beach dipping into the memory palace. Recalling Charlotte rushing into the sea, wearing her green frog armbands to help build up her confidence in the water. She had flatly rejected the pretty pink water wings which Angela had favoured; no matter how hard she tried Angela could never mould her into a little princess. Charlie was inquisitive and fearless, always covered in minor bumps and bruises from her escapades. The water wings were soon dispensed of as she took to the water, too fearless for her own good; they could never leave her unattended, as she would soon go out of her depth.

There would be tantrums, if they tried to fuss over her or curtail her fun. Much to Angela's chagrin, she was very much the tomboy, happier in her dungarees than the fancy dresses Angela would buy for her. Alone with Jane, Charlie would pull faces at the dresses with the extravagant pink bows, which she had been made to wear. Jane would struggle to keep a straight face, as he tried to persuade her to wear it for Mummy and would grin as she walked away disgruntled, with one white sock rebelliously wrinkled round her ankle.

His thoughts inevitably wandered to another angry little princess, who refused to go away much as he tried to banish her from his thoughts.

* * *

Jane had been expecting them to come at night and kept the gun to hand in the evenings, so it was a complete surprise when they arrived one lunchtime. Three hooded men advanced through the open patio door, there was no escape or means of defence, as the gun was upstairs in its box. There was no time to grab the phone, which was unceremoniously smashed against the wall before they began their assault on him. Despite the defensive position assumed, the kicks and punches soon rendered him helpless. So this was it; there was a certain karma if it all ended in the place that symbolised his folly.

Instinctively Jane memorised the characteristics of his attackers the timbre of their voices, their build, smell and accents, not that he expected to have the opportunity to make use of the information. Few words were spoken, the beating was relentless. Jane tried to induce a state of calm to slow his systems down, rendering him cold and lifeless until eventually they left him for dead.

Jane's arm was broken and his head was still spinning but instead of trying to make his way outside to get help, he summoned his last reserves to drag himself upstairs to lie on the mattress in their bedroom.

So this was the final reckoning; how fitting it would be to die here, where they had died before him. A half smile formed on his bloodied face in grim acceptance of his fate, he would not fight it. He slipped between states of consciousness, interspersed with bouts of delirium as dehydration set in. The passage of days was marked by the transition from light to dark and as Jane become more detached, it was impossible to distinguish between reality and the imagined, especially when he took comfort from the scent and sound of a familiar presence before drifting back into his own world.

* * *

Apart from a quick refuelling stop Lisbon had driven straight through to Malibu, fuelled by the adrenaline that coursed through her veins. Jane's car was parked out front and the door was unlocked, so she tentatively made her way into the dark building, feeling her way to find a light switch. It wasn't the first time she had visited, so she had a mental picture of the layout as she carefully made her way round. The signs of the attack were visible, dried blood on the marble floors and the smashed remnants of his phone. Instinctively she phoned Cho to get some backup, talking to her right hand man as she made her way up the stairs, guessing where she would find Jane. A sob escaped when she saw Jane's broken body beneath the familiar red sign.

"I've found him Cho, he's taken a beating. I can't see whether he is dead or alive."

Cho breathed deeply, expecting the worse and knowing the effect that would have on Lisbon.

She knelt beside his body, feeling his cold hand for a pulse. "He's alive but barely Cho, call the EMT's immediately while I see what I can do. I'll call you when they arrive."

She surveyed the wreck of his body, unwilling to do anything that might worsen his condition. She got some water and tried dripping some water into his mouth through his cracked lips whilst stroking him and talking gently to him through her tears. She would do nothing over than moisten his mouth and sooth him until the medics came, in case an anaesthetic was required later. It was impossible to guess the extent of his injuries and she had to fight hard to overcome her desire to just do something.

"Patrick it's me Teresa, I'm with you now. You're safe again. Just relax help is on its way."

The eyelids flickered in recognition of a familiar sound but after an incoherent groan he passed out again.

"Don't you dare leave me Jane. Stay with me. Damn it Jane, why did you go off by yourself? You knew we would have helped." The tears streamed down her face as she waited for the medics to arrive; they asked her to leave them while they examined him, so she gave her statement to the local police who were in attendance. The medics stabilised Jane as well as they could before transferring him to stretcher, where he was immobilised to prevent any further damage in transit. Lisbon followed them in her car to the hospital, quickly briefing Cho on the latest situation and promising to keep him updated.

In her capacity of Jane's medical power of attorney, Lisbon arranged for Jane's medical details to be sent over to the hospital. When she was questioned, she told the hospital she was his partner and let them make their own assumptions from that. Adam turned up, fearing the worst when he saw Lisbon's tear streaked face. Despite his efforts to persuade her to take a rest, she wouldn't move from Jane's side. So Adam sorted her out with a drink and snack before leaving for the night, insisting that she call him if things took a turn for the worse.

The X-rays had revealed multiple injuries and some internal bleeding, though nothing life threatening. Initially apart from keeping him immobilised, the doctors thought better of doing anything major until he was rehydrated. They allowed Lisbon to stay with Jane, as he lay there in a drug induced haze, the whole situation was exacerbated by his dehydration. His breathing was more regular but he still remained in a state of unconsciousness.

For the first few hours that Jane came round he was still a bit delirious, bemoaning the fact he was still alive and asking why they had not let him die. It could have been over, no more pain or torment he lamented.

Lisbon spoke firmly but kindly "What about us Jane? We care for you and need you - think of us, if you can't think of yourself."

He squeezed her hand gently and a tear ran down his face before he drifted back to sleep. When he woke again he was reconciled to the situation, relaxing under Lisbon's gentle ministrations as she soothed his brow. In as much as his injuries would allow his face relaxed into a vestige of a smile, as ever she knew exactly how to deal with him.

In his semi-conscious state, Jane had heard Lisbon say things that she wouldn't wish him to remember. That both buoyed him up and yet left him with a profound feeling of regret, that he was not in a position to act. Those words would be treasured and the sentiments were largely reciprocated, but he would not embarrass her by acknowledging he had heard them - neither of them were ready for that.

Finally he woke properly, squinting at her through his half closed eyes. "Hey, did I miss something" he said ironically.

"Well I would guess my week's been better than yours." Lisbon let a smile break out, as she looked into his eyes.

He couldn't smile that well due to the split lip and the bruising on his face. The broken arm had been set at some point but was still immobilised. Every bit of him ached when the painkillers started to wear off.

"I don't suppose a cup of tea would be too much to ask for?" He asked more in hope than in expectation.

"We'll see what the nurses can do. But be nice to them, no need to be snarky if it doesn't live up to your expectations." She hid her concerns behind her flippant responses.

A gentle squeeze of the hand was her reply.

"Anyhow, I've got a bone to pick with you mister going off by yourself without any backup, but that can wait for now."

"I wasn't alone, I had my friend with me." Lisbon knew he was referring to his gun, picking up on her comment from a few weeks ago.

"Shame you left him in the box. There's no point having a gun, if don't carry it on you," she retorted.

"Minor detail Lisbon, besides they didn't come when I expected them."

"The fact that you expected them at all, means we're going to have a serious conversation about this at some stage in the future." Lisbon couldn't maintain her stern look for long. Her relief at seeing him on the road to recovery, overrode any feelings of irritation.

Jane tried to lift his head to look at her."Lisbon, I can't remember much, but one of the voices sounded familiar. I can't place it at the moment. The old memory palace is a bit shaken up at the moment, but I'll know it if I hear it again."

"Probably best if you keep that to yourself for now," she cautioned; the last thing they needed was another attempt on his life. "Anyhow, I've spoken to the medics, they see no reason why you can't be discharged at the weekend provided that you've got someone to look after you. My place is too small as you need a proper bed, so Cho has offered to let you stay in his spare room. We'll all take shifts to stay with you."

Although he hated being dependent, Jane's eyes welled at the thought of the team rallying round like this. Jane was too weak to argue now, although Lisbon knew it wouldn't take long for him to start getting restless.

Lisbon had been reluctant to have him stay at her place, the situation between them was still unresolved. There was no spare bedroom and he needed to be able to rest properly. Cho and Jane were both solitary types in their own way and would cope with each other for a while, although Cho would have no secrets by time Jane left. Jane could also see the wisdom of the arrangement, although now his guard was down, part of him wished he was staying with Lisbon.

"You know, you really ought to think about getting somewhere permanent to live," Lisbon said to Jane's surprise, it was strange she would raise it at this juncture.

"Whether you wish otherwise, you are alive Jane and you need to start living. Whatever you eventually intend to do with Red John, there's no reason to punish yourself constantly. You have been beaten to within an inch of your life - surely that is punishment enough? I know the darkness will still prey on you, so make the most of the lighter times." She wasn't saying it for herself, she genuinely thought he needed to try and live a semblance of a normal life.

* * *

Cho was ever the practical host, unfussy, matter of fact and importantly he respected Jane's privacy. In return Jane was inquisitive, taking full opportunity of Cho's absence to learn as much as he could about his inscrutable colleague. They had always liked each other in a tacit way, the über cautious Cho was perceived as being straight edge but he had committed to Jane's outlandish schemes with gusto.

Of course the best times were when Lisbon visited, Cho would usually make himself scarce at these times. They would share a takeout and chat about the current case. Lisbon had brought some of the case files to look over to stop Jane going completely stir crazy. They had fallen back into a companionable friendship, the boundaries back in place for now, as neither acknowledged what had gone before.

Jane's resolve to distance himself from the team had failed completely, he was closer to them than ever. Lisbon's words, which had pierced through his armour in his semi conscious state, played constantly in his mind.


	7. Chapter 7 : Flatmates

**Chapter 7 : Flatmates**

"So how's things with the flatmate?" Rigsby enquired.

"Jane's found a flat to move into, Lisbon's finally convinced him to leave that motel." Cho curtly responded, knowing Rigsby would keep chipping away at him until he found out something interesting.

"So what have you learned? There must be something he's hiding from us."

"Loads of things I'd imagine, but I don't know what they are, so no point asking me."Cho continued to deflect.

"He'll know all your secrets by now." The big guy persisted, his colleague just smirked enigmatically.

"Jane may think so, but I moved a lot of stuff over to my Mom's before Jane moved in. He'll only know what I choose to let him know."

Rigsby snorted with derision. "Yeah! You really believe that Cho? Jane only needs the slightest hint of a clue to surmise more than you think. He'll know everything by now."

Cho shrugged. "Got nothing to hide anyhow. I've set a few false trails for him to follow, I put a few books in the bookcase that I would never read in a million years read to keep him guessing."

"He'll soon see through that, if they haven't been read." Rigsby shook his head, not convinced at all.

Cho explained "I often buy second hand books, so most of my books have been read at some stage. I'll be seriously impressed if he works that out. I reorganised my IPod to confuse him on the music front - hip hop is definitely not to his taste." Cho smirked at the recollection of the look of disgust on Jane's face when the music blared out, the consultant's tastes were infinitely more conservative.

"What about ... you know?" Rigsby raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Let's just say I've hit a dry patch, there's no way I'm having company while Jane's there." A smirk broke out on Cho's face. "Some of the women from the gym have been phoning the flat leaving messages for me with Jane. He's had to deal with a couple of irate exes and one who just wouldn't take no for an answer. I think some of them went a bit over the top."

Cho started to chuckle, remembering the night he came back and Jane just shook his head before passing him the message, muttering, "really Cho, Lola the showgirl?"

"You've been messing with Jane - that's a dangerous game Dude." The big guy was impressed.

"Nah, he knows I'm doing it, I think he half expects it now. It just lets him know, I know he's snooping. I've planted decoys round the flat, just to see how far he is prepared to go. I even set up a bogus Iceman account on my laptop, took him a while to work out that password."

"Why, what was it?"

"Iamamentalist," they both chortled at that one.

"So Jane and the Boss?" You had to give Rigsby full marks for persistence, but Cho wasn't touching that one.

"What about them?" He blanked his colleague out.

"You know?" The inference was clear.

"Please! This is the Boss you're talking about, they're not likely to do anything in front of me." Changing the subject quickly Cho added. "Anyhow Jane gets his new place from the end of the month, I said I'd help him move in. He's still not got his strength back in his arm and tires quickly. If you have a few hours to spare that weekend, we could move all his stuff for him."

"At least he can't fleece me with his card tricks with his bum wing." Rigsby said with some relief.

Cho was by no means convinced that would stop Jane parting Rigsby from his money. "Oh I'm sure he could find away. Jane should be able to drive again next week, so he'll start coming back in part time."

"So who's going to make your lunch then?" Rigsby teased.

Cho looked a bit embarrassed; since Jane was fit enough to walk down to the deli during the day, Cho had been sent off to work with a packed lunch every day. Initially he had considered binning it, but Jane had impeccable taste and the food was seriously good. There was even a meal waiting for him when he got home most nights. They were very much the odd couple. Although Cho was glad he was leaving, he had grown quite fond of Jane during his short stay.

* * *

Jane in turn had enjoyed the games Cho played with him, he wouldn't divulge Cho's secrets not even to Lisbon. The conversations with Cho's Mum had told Jane all he needed to know, she had even let slip about the boxes left at her house.

The book game was particularly enjoyable, the planted books were not quite in such good condition as Cho's favoured books, none of which were dog eared. It was a valiant attempt, but not quite good enough. Seriously who would put Emily Bronte next to Jackie Collins or E L James next to James Joyce? Most of the other book plants were a lot more subtle, but the obvious ones were the teasers that had first alerted him to the game.

As for the computer account, that did make him smile. Cho had quite a dry sense of humour, it was his way of telling Jane he knew what going on. The other decoys were never acknowledged by Jane, who chose to let Cho think some things remained sacred.

Jane was moving on in altogether better spirits, thanks in part to his enigmatic colleague's antics.

Lisbon had taken him to the flat viewings, the brief was to find something a bit boutique and interesting rather than ultra modern. Lisbon raised her eyebrows when she saw the prices, Jane just shrugged apologetically. "What can I say? I was a good fake psychic." A renovation in the old quarter was eventually settled on, it was just a short drive or brisk walk from Lisbon's place. The flat was surprisingly homely, with a well equipped kitchen but nothing flashy, it was the complete antithesis of his home in Malibu. For some reason, it was important to Jane that Lisbon approved.

It was handy that the place was in good decorative order, as Jane wasn't fit enough to do anything himself. Lisbon helped him choose some furniture, simple well made classic pieces and of course a comfortable sofa. Jane wasn't going over the top, he wasn't ready to throw off his monastic habits completely, but it was a process and this was the first step.

Jane didn't listen to many people, but he accepted what Lisbon had said about living for the present rather than dwelling on the dark days before or ahead. The attack had set him back more than expected, both physically and mentally. It was a stark reminder of his advancing years and that if he did not look after himself, he would never see through his revenge. It didn't change his purpose or resolve, but recent events had changed his perspective about being an island, even Jane needed friends at times.

Jane soon established his place back on the sofa in the bullpen, enjoying the routine and companionship of being in the office again, but he flagged a bit as the day wore on. Although not fit enough for field work, the consultant still offered some valuable insights on interviews and the application of detached logic to the casework reaped rewards.

* * *

Ardilles came by the office to swap notes with Lisbon over the Odenthal case, which she was due to be a witness in. The prosecutor was one of those slightly over groomed and self important characters, that Jane liked to wind up. After his failed prosecution of Jane, Ardilles was routinely used as target practice for Jane's barbed wit.

He balked when he saw would have to pass Jane; unable to avoid eye contact Ardilles just nodded quickly in acknowledgement and tried to make his way through without further ado.

"Ardilles, so what brings you here? Some poor unfortunate been caught up in the machinery of the state?"

"The Odenthal case actually - one you know well. Fortunately I don't have to rely on your evidence, we've double checked everything to make sure you haven't crapped on anything."

Jane's lips pursed, then he suddenly went quiet and walked away muttering. "No, I can assure you this is as straightforward as they come. Good luck with the case."

Ardilles was surprised to have gotten away so lightly. It was never pleasant having to prosecute one of your own, even Jane, and Odenthal was even closer to home. Although the latter's naked ambition had made him unpopular with his peers, it was undeniable that Odenthal always seemed to be able to make his case and seemed to have a good rapport with SAC PD.

Once Ardilles had departed, Jane knocked on the frame of Lisbon's door to get her attention. She looked up a tad irritated, as there was a mountain of paperwork to go through. "What's up Jane. I've got work to do here."

"Something's come back to me about the night of the attack."

She put her pen down, now fully engaged. Jane sat on the edge of her desk, obviously still playing things over in his mind. "Lisbon, I know this is going to sound crazy, but remember I said I thought I recognised a voice."

"Have have you heard it again - who was it?" Lisbon asked impatiently, she wanted to nail the people who'd injured Jane so badly.

" No, but I've heard a name that's made a connection. I can't explain it, but I'm sure it's something to do with Odenthal. It was his voice or something very close to it." He looked closely at her to gauge her reaction.

Lisbon pulled a face. "But you know that's impossible."

"Yes, weird isn't it." Jane smiled ironically. "It would make sense though if you think about it. Trying to discredit you, so your evidence would be worthless. I assume Cho's also giving evidence hence the attack on him. As for me, well that was probably straightforward revenge."

She leant back in her chair, considering the implications."Even if I were to give your theory the remotest credence, the fact remains that Odenthal has been firmly ensconced behind bars for the last few months and couldn't have done any of these things himself."

Jane stood up to go, "yes, curious isn't it. Fear not Lisbon, I have an idea." He paused looking seriously at her. "If I'm right, it just occurred that to me, that with the trial imminent you and Cho may need to be extra vigilant."

He frowned as he left her office, making his way to the kitchen. Maybe some tea would kick start his brain, which by his high standards had not been on top form since his injury. The synapses weren't firing quite as fast, despite the mental exercises he was undertaking. Of greatest concern was the disruption of his memory palace, some of the links weren't working and cherished memories were harder to find these days. It was not surprising after a head injury, but he would have to work at it to get back to full speed.

* * *

Returning back to Odenthal, Jane would start with some research. Much as he disliked the woman, Schettrick could always be relied on to spill the beans. Oddly enough she didn't respond to Jane's sort of charm, but if you could trade information with her, she had her uses. After all information was currency, to be used at her discretion.

"Why Jane what brings you to my office? Don't tell me you've dished the dirt on the DA's wife or the upset the Mayor again. Do I need to be worried ?" Her dry tone immediately made Jane's hackles rise.

"The DA's wife, really Brenda?" The mock surprise would make her feel more important.

She nodded her head adding conspiratorially "You didn't hear from me Jane."

"I'm still working on that little matter we discussed before my absence, but in the mean time Brenda, what do you know about Odenthal?" The promise of a trade later should be enough to loosen her tongue.

She leant forward. "Word is he's not coping well behind bars. There's been talk of sending him to a psych unit, he's distinctly unstable."

"Hmm. Could be a ruse to escape the rap - not fit to stand trial." That was certainly a possibility that Jane hadn't considered. "What do you know about his background?"

"Well, he came to Sacramento about 10 years ago, he's not married, well not now anyhow. No family that I know of in the area but I'm sure I heard talk of a brother in the army. Apart from that, I can't say I've heard a lot about him but I'll let you know if anything crops up. Don't forget to follow that matter up for me Jane."

It was time to get Grace doing some searches, Jane whispered into Grace's ear telling her exactly what he wanted, there was no need to publicise the fact they were on to Odenthal.

The next stop was Haffner, Jane was troubled that someone like Odenthal could exert so much influence over law enforcement. Haffner was engrossed in his papers, when Jane rapped on the door and entered without being invited and closed the door behind him.

Jane took the seat opposite Haffner and with some satisfaction noted the blood vessel on Haffner's temple was starting to pulse with anger. "Make yourself at home Jane. I hope this is important, I'm rather busy." Haffner motioned to the unnaturally neat piles of papers on his desk.

Jane leant forward. "Ray, you know what goes on around here, what you don't find out yourself I'm sure Bret fills in the gaps for you." To his credit, Haffner barely showed any reaction to the disclosure that Jane knew he was Visualise. He smiled slowly ,"I wondered when you would bring that up, no rules being broken Jane."

"No and I'm sure you do your job very diligently, but it must be most useful for Bret knowing what's going on here. I've always suspected the reach of Visualise went deep into law enforcement." He purposefully looked out into the crowded office. "I'm sure I could spot the members from here." Slowly but deliberately Jane looked round the office, reading Haffner's reactions as he surveyed the scene. "That many Ray? Three on this floor alone?"

Haffner scowled at being read so easily. "Get on with it Jane, what do you want?"

"What do you know about what's happening to the SCU? My first thought was that it was Visualise but that's not how Bret works, he would be far more subtle. It's obviously organised within law enforcement but how does it work?" Jane's eyes searched Haffner's face to read his reaction.

Haffner pressed his lips thinly together, as he considered the best way to proceed. "Favours. You get in trouble and someone takes you to the side, offers you an escape on the basis that you'll do something in return. Sometimes the misdemeanour dodged can be fairly insignificant, but what is asked in return can be much more serious. Remember Chambers on the first floor, he's still in recovery, a hit and run apparently. Word is he tried to get out of his commitment. Once you're in, there's no getting out."

It was pretty much confirmation of what Jane suspected. "Any idea who's running it?"

Ray just shook his head. "Even if I knew, I'm not sure it would be safe to tell you - the walls have ears. My guess is, it goes to the top. Seriously Jane, I sweep my office for bugs every day. I wouldn't repeat any of this in the office unless you start doing the same in the SCU." He leant down to his desk drawer and handed Jane a device. "Check the bullpen and Lisbon's office - you may be surprised. Get it back to me somehow before you leave tonight."

Haffner looked out across the office. "Our little soiree has already raised some interest out there. I'm not sure that's good for my health, we need to ratchet this up a bit. I'm sure I can think of something annoying that you've done to sound off about."

With that Haffner stood up and launched into an angry tirade at the consultant. Jane nodded and mouthed thanks, before responding in kind. Their raised voices culminated in a red faced Haffner ordering Jane out of his office and a stream of expletives following the consultant across the office.

A quick scan of the bullpen revealed a bug by Cho's desk, they thought back to anything they might have discussed there. Jane guessed his discussion about Odenthal in Lisbon's office was safe, they had been talking fairly quietly. They were on their guard now and would be more careful in future.

* * *

 **A/N** I expect most of you will have better things to do than read this tomorrow. Seasons greetings to everyone.


	8. Chapter 8 : The Special Agent

**Chapter 8 : The Special Agent**

It had taken some getting used to finally having roots again, Jane surveyed the apartment with some satisfaction. It was comfortable and stylish but still largely devoid of any personal details, he hadn't been tempted to put up any photographs of his family, those images were his alone and were not for sharing.

The bookcase hinted at his eclectic interests, most books would be read once and the detail extracted and mentally stored. The favourites would be enjoyed over and over again; each time appreciating the nuances that passed him by on earlier readings. Jane's method of reading was fairly analytic; seeking out the salient facts and storing those away, discarding anything inconsequential. Skimming over lyrical prose until he had deemed it worthy of revisiting, at which point he would immerse himself completely in the story, living the plot as much as reading it.

The flat had a distinctly masculine ambience with the heavy wooden furniture, but it was by no means a bachelor pad. Perhaps it was more reminiscent of a gentleman's club, an escape from the outside world, a place to contemplate at leisure.

In truth escape was the operative word, as there was unwelcome attention from some of the ladies in the block. Jane ruefully reflected that he had never had that problem in the motel, where he had been able to sneak in and out without notice. Here there were ample opportunities to be cornered in the downstairs lobby, the lifts and the corridors. Jane had even resorted to using the stairs, in an attempt to avoid his most predatory admirer Claire Newberg. She was a forty something , attractive divorcee, who could just about carry off the vampish look she favoured without looking tacky.

The consultant had taken her eye, and she had designs on adding his name to her list of conquests at the earliest opportunity. She seemed to appear from nowhere as soon as Jane set foot outside the door. Initially he had been polite but distant, but had recently resorted to sarcastic putdowns in an attempt to derail her interest.

Lisbon and Cho had been a great help moving him in; Cho of course had his own motivation for getting Jane settled in and getting his own life back. Lisbon had been practical and encouraging, especially when she saw his doubts emerging about the wisdom of this. Pointing out that if he could relax in his own surroundings, he might even be able to see things clearer, rather than just retreading the same ground over and over again.

Determined to make the place look more homely, Lisbon had bought him some scatter cushions and a rug to break the austere look. The spare bedroom looked a bit less like a cell, once it had been given the Lisbon touch. Jane had given her a free hand with that room, as he hoped she may stay over once in a while, but his own room while comfortable had an impersonal feel to it.

Lisbon also pointedly bought him an iron. Now that Jane had his own laundry facilities, there was no excuse for the vagabond look he occasionally fell back on.

* * *

After he had been settled in for a week, Jane invited the team over for a meal, in truth he wasn't keen on his privacy being invaded but he reckoned he owed them that much. Rigsby had to cry off because Sara was near her due date and as Rigbsy had spent the previous weekend moving Jane in, she wasn't happy at the thought of being left alone again. Van Pelt had a long standing arrangement, so to Jane's relief it was just Lisbon and Cho.

Lisbon came ahead of time in case he needed any help with the meal. Jane cautiously peered out to see who was there, when the door bell had rung.

"Thank heavens it's you Lisbon," he said with some relief; she wasn't the first female to try his door tonight.

The lift door opened and Claire appeared in the hallway, she smiled salaciously as soon as she saw Jane and sashayed towards him, completely ignoring the fact he had company.

"Lisbon, don't hit me for what I'm about to do, please just work with me." Jane pulled her into a clinch and pressed a firm kiss against her lips, holding her firmly in place.

Newberg muttered "what a waste of a good man", as she sauntered by.

Lisbon's eyes had been like saucers initially and her lips firmly pressed together, but after a few moments she instinctively responded and closed her eyes sending mixed signals to Jane, who against his better instincts deepened the kiss for what seemed like an eternity before they were interrupted.

Cho had been checking his phone when he came out of the lift, the doors had closed behind him before he looked up and saw his boss and her consultant enjoying a "moment" together. Crap, there was nowhere for him to go, so he coughed to make his presence known. "Well if that's the starter, I think I'd better leave before the main course."

Lisbon came to her senses and pushed Jane hard against the wall.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" She said angrily, her face was flushed and hair slightly mussed up.

"Lisbon, you just saved my life, that woman won't leave me alone. Desperate times require desperate measures. Hell, if Cho had been here first, I may have kissed him." In truth he hadn't intended the kiss to go on afterwards like it did, but it took on a life of its own. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't rile Lisbon. Jane looked accusingly at Cho, if he hadn't turned up at that moment, he might have been able to talk his way out of it. Now Lisbon would be so busy proving to Cho that there was nothing going on, that she would give Jane a hard time all night. The corners of Cho's lips were twitching slightly, as his normally impassive face showed signs of amusement.

"So the only reason you kissed me was to avoid that woman?" Lisbon wasn't sure which annoyed her most, the fact he had kissed her or the fact he hadn't meant it.

"Enjoyable as it was my dear Lisbon, I needed a decoy to ward off the evil spirits." This was not getting any easier. "Look shall we take this indoors before you blow my cover completely." Lisbon glared at him, not made any better by the sound of Cho's involuntary snort.

After a conciliatory drink they sat down to enjoy Jane's cooking, the meal had been chosen for Lisbon's tastes and so that it did not necessitate too much work once the guests arrived.

"Actually I'm glad it's just you two, we really need to discuss this Odenthal business. I hope you are both being extra vigilant; I don't think I'm in any danger but you might be."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Cho looked pointedly in Lisbon's direction, who glared back at him.

"Well yes putting that aside, I've been thinking about what Haffner said. Judge Hildred used the phrase a poisonous tree; that struck a chord with me when I was pondering what's going on in law enforcement. The way I see it poisoned branches are spreading slowly, all being fed from the same source but each branch is independent of the others. You can cut one branch without killing the tree, the only way to stop it is to attack the source, merely cutting one branch will just encourage more offshoots. Fortunately in this instance we are just dealing with one of the branches but this reaches right to the top of law enforcement and I wouldn't be surprised if Red John were somehow involved with this. However I am surprised there has been no reaction to the attacks on us, normally he stamps down on things like that; he likes to keep us as his playthings."

"That's true, look what happened to Bosco when he took over the Red John case." Cho hadn't thought of Red John in all this.

Lisbon nodded "Yes, he likes to be the master puppeteer and doesn't like anyone stepping on his toes. Any idea what's going on Jane?"

"Sadly I haven't got a clue in this instance, it does make you wonder though." Jane had been mulling this over since Malibu, unable to understand why there had been no reaction.

Cho eventually made his excuses and left, thinking Jane and Lisbon probably needed to clear the air a bit.

"Sorry about earlier Lisbon, it was an impulsive reaction, that woman has been making my life hell. I thought a girlfriend or even boyfriend may put her off." He eyes twinkled as he looked at her scrunched up features, she was unbelievably cute when she pouted like that. Lisbon had actually believed his story first time but it didn't mean she had to let him down easily – fancy doing that in front of Cho.

"It was a nice kiss though Teresa, if a little unwise." Jane ventured softly.

Lisbon's features softened a bit , as she responded. "Indeed it was, on both counts."

* * *

The ongoing case required Jane to return to the field, unfortunately he was a bit off his game and had badly misread the situation, causing all sorts of political fallout and landing Lisbon in trouble with the new boss Special Agent in charge Luther Wainright.

Wainright had not long started and was taking a particular interest in Jane's role, not really seeing the point of having Jane assigned to a single team. It was the new broom syndrome, he wanted to shake things up a bit and was considering putting Jane with another team as a trial, not that there were many people willing to take him on. It was widely acknowledged that Lisbon was the only one with any control over the consultant, the theories for that ranged from Jane responding to the more intuitive response of a female boss, to the more scurrilous suggestions about their relations.

Jane felt bad for Lisbon; that could have been her job, if her loyalty to Jane had not wrecked her career prospects, but to her eternal credit she showed no sign of resentment. Wainright was sharp enough, but he was book clever. He had no intuitive skills and his main concern was in making the numbers look good and thereby making himself look good. Privately Jane and Lisbon both thought he was way out of his depth.

Lisbon started off being very polite and defending Wainright to a degree in front of the team, whereas Jane was more bemused by the rather preposterous Senior Agent; however this was actually turning to concern as there was a very real possibility that Luther Wainright was actually stupid enough to try and break up the team.

As Jane saw it there were two options; either pull something spectacular out of the bag and make the team look good, or let Wainright snare himself with his own stupidity before rescuing him from the mess of his own making, somehow ensuring their hapless leader looked good in the process. Needless to say the second option was much more appealing to Jane's devious mind. Wainright would owe him and would back off for a while.

There was no need to wait that long, as their latest case involved the kidnap of Congressman Jethro Walton's daughter Ashley and her friend Lucia. Wainright was all over the case like a rash, theorising that this was a classic abduction and reeling off numerous text book scenarios, few of which offered a positive outcome and had little relevance to the real world.

Grace's background research had revealed that Ashley was far from the perfect daughter. There had been minor skirmishes with the law for drugs and underage drinking, fortunately a stint at college appeared to have straightened her out, but Jane had learned enough to want to find out more about her from her peer group. Wainright naturally insisted on dealing with the Congressman himself, leaving Jane to concentrate on the people who really knew Ashley and Lucia.

Both girls were studying at the Californian State University campus at Sacramento, so it wouldn't take long to follow up that lead. As Wainright had laid claim on Lisbon, Jane got Cho to accompany him to the University. Naturally everyone said both girls were popular and had no enemies as they always did, so Jane just stood back while Cho ran through the routine questioning.

Jane studied the body language of the group until a restless young man caught Jane's attention, he was obviously monitoring events without showing any apparent concern for the victims. Jane sidled up to one of the girls awaiting questioning and after the prerequisite small talk he enquired who the young man was. Jane could see that the youth, who apparently went by the name Jeb Walker, was now watching him. Jane learned that Walker was not well regarded, as he had a habit of hanging his hat on any protest group, inciting direct action while keeping in the background, leaving others to take the blame.

Jane called Grace, asking her to find out what she could about Walker and send it over to him. Armed with this new information, Cho modified his line of questioning to ask if the girls were involved in any radical causes or protest groups. Eventually a link was established between Walker and Ashley; Jane was now firmly convinced that the kidnap was not all it seemed to be.

There was no need to kidnap both girls, so the friend Lucia was clearly a decoy and most likely the sacrificial lamb. Once the ransom had been paid, Jane had no doubt Ashley and Walker would disappear for a while, before re-appearing under false identities.

Jane's theory was circumstantial to say the least, but he feared that Lucia would be killed regardless and his main priority was securing her release, regardless whether that offended or pleased the Congressman.

Naturally this put Jane on a collision course with Wainright, who was so busy kowtowing to the bigwigs, that he would not entertain Jane's theory. There had been a heated, but nevertheless private discussion in Wainright's office; Jane was still trying to not undermine their leader at this juncture, though it was hard going. The Special Agent had told him in no uncertain terms, that the ransom would be exchanged the following day at mid-day. The only concession that Jane had managed to extract, was to get proof of life for both girls before the exchange, to ensure Lucia was kept alive right up to that point.

Lisbon was aware that Jane had an alternative theory but hadn't really had time to discuss it with him, as things were moving quickly. Unless absolutely necessary, Jane wanted to keep Lisbon out of trouble, but the time would come when saving Lucia's life would override all other considerations.

* * *

Deciding the time had come to pursue his own plan, Jane tricked Lisbon into taking his phone by mistake, while he kept hers. Jane had blocked outgoing calls on his phone and had blocked Wainright's number on incoming calls, so there was no way Wainright could contact her and vice versa. Jane knew he could fall back on his tried and tested diatribe about technology, when called on to explain his actions.

Assuming they were working on Wainright's authority, the team planted a tracking device in Walker's car and Grace had put a trace on his phone. Walker's position had been pinpointed to an unoccupied warehouse in the Port of Sacramento and Cho and Rigsby were taking it in turns to stake it out, so that one of them was available if Lisbon required backup.

The purloined mobile started ringing, Jane smirked as he answered the call. "Lisbon's phone, how can I help you?"

"Where's Lisbon, I need to talk to her." Wainright curtly replied, he had no intention of engaging with the consultant at this point.

"There's been a mix up with the phones, somehow she's ended up with my phone by mistake. You can try calling my phone, or I can get a message to her." Jane said innocently.

"No, I'll do it myself," Wainright abruptly rang off.

Jane waited patiently until the phone rang again. "Luther, can't keep away from me. What can I do?"

"I can't get through to Lisbon, can you try her number?" The senior agent's patience was running low.

Jane called his own phone, Lisbon had only just realised the phones had been swapped and she wasn't happy. "Did you do this Jane?"

"Let you walk off with my phone? No I did not, and I have to say it's most inconvenient, I'm having to talk to Wainright; he can't get through to you for some reason." The lies just tripped off his tongue.

"Why not, what have you done?" Lisbon positively growled, suspecting foul play.

"Must be the bullshit filter on my phone stopping the calls," came back the cocky reply.

"You are so in trouble when I get back to the office." It was obvious Jane was running interference and Lisbon was not happy.

"No bother, Wainright has instructed you to meet Cho at Warehouse 42 at Deepwater Wharf, there's been some new intel, they think that the kidnappers are holed up there. I'll let Cho know you're on your way."

The phone alerted him to an incoming call, Wainright was getting impatient he had to go over to the Walton's house to arrange the pickup of the ransom and ordered Rigsby to accompany him in Lisbon's absence. Wainright left instructions for Lisbon to meet him at the drop off.

Jane made his way over to the wharf, ready to explain his plan. Rigsby was going to make sure they had proof of life before the pickup, so they knew both girls were still alive. Grace was tracking the incoming calls to locate the source of the call, sure enough when the location was confirmed, it proved Jane's theory.

Walker left shortly after the call and was noiselessly taken down by Cho with a TASER, before being secured bound and gagged in the car. Slowly they made their way inside the warehouse, where they found Ashley watching the TV news, while her captive friend lay bound and blindfolded in a corner. Ashley had no inkling that anyone would track them down and was completely unprepared for the takedown, which Lisbon and Cho efficiently executed. Jane went to release the captive girl, allowing Lisbon to take over as soon as Ashley was secured.

* * *

Jane called Wainright to tell him the situation was resolved and that he would join him shortly. Lisbon reclaimed her phone back, and she and Cho closed up things up at the Warehouse. Jane naturally unblocked his phone as soon as he was out of sight so he could use it again.

It was left to Jane to explain the situation to the Congressman and his wife, who were relieved that their daughter was safe, but were distraught at her culpability in events. It was obvious they were decent people and Jane felt a pang of regret at their suffering, though none at all for Ashley, she fully deserved her punishment.

Now for the tricky bit managing Wainright, Jane had tipped off Karen Cross that Wainright had instigated a daring plan that had resulted in the kidnappers being captured, he briefly outlined events and told her to wait outside the Congressman's home.

Wainright looked up surprised that Karen and her TV crew had got there so quickly. Karen turned to the camera as they approached."So here comes the hero of the hour, Special Agent in charge Luther Wainright, his decisive action brought about a successful conclusion to the hostage situation."

Wainright smiled uncertainly, still not 100 percent sure what had happened.

Karen held up her hand. "Luther, may I just congratulate you on your courage, we need more people like you in public office. Now, would you mind telling us how you cracked this case."

Wainright's mouth dropped a bit, not knowing how to respond but Jane put his hand on his shoulder. "Luther let me explain. Karen our dynamic young boss is far too modest to publicise his own part in this, without his clarity of thought it could have ended tragically."

Jane proceeded to big Wainright up until the man in question had gained his composure sufficiently to speak for himself.

When they reached their cars Wainright stopped and glared at Jane. "You publicly disobeyed me and got the team to work behind my back."

"No, I assure you the team acted in good faith. I told them they were following your instructions, no one knows any differently. I couldn't let that girl die even though it meant going against instructions, but that is just between you and me. If you could learn to trust me, I assure you this could be a very productive arrangement." Jane made sure the buck stopped with him and no one else was implicated.

Wainright was still fuming, but had to break off to take a congratulatory call from Bertram, who invited him over to the State building to meet the Senator, who had been most impressed by his cool handling.

As he rang off he looked at Jane. "You show most of the hallmark signs of being a high-functioning clinical psychopath but I'll adjust accordingly now I know what I'm dealing with. For the record I'll let you off this once, but next time you are out Jane, regardless what anyone else thinks."

* * *

Lisbon was seething when he got back to the office "Jane, my office now."

"Another case successfully closed, guess it's my turn to cough up for pizza." Jane was blithely trying to stave off the oncoming storm.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, messing with people's lives like that?" The sarcasm had wound her up even more, she was coiled as tight as a spring.

"My dear Lisbon, I assure you that if I had not messed with people's lives as you put it, our young leader yonder would have been facing a very uncertain future. As it is, this is a win, win situation. I've told him that no one knows I countermanded his orders, and ran a parallel investigation. The team thinks that everything was sanctioned by Wainright, so there's no loss of face. Wainright knows that you were unknowingly coerced into this scheme, so what's the problem?"

"Jane, you can't do things like that and expect to get away with it."

"Au contraire, I think you'll find that's exactly what I've done." A smug smile crept across his face.

"But what if it hadn't worked?" Lisbon persisted, although she knew it was impossible to talk any sense into him when he was coming off a high like this.

"I'd have been transferred to another unit, which is what he wanted to do. Anyhow this shows him how the team will work for him, given the right incentive. Hopefully he'll think twice about crossing us after this." Jane shrugged off her concerns, refusing to acknowledge Lisbon's point of view.

"You are so not out of the woods on this, believe me." Lisbon gave him one of her mock angry looks, although she was relieved about the outcome of the case.

"We got the bad guys, sometimes that's enough Teresa," Jane said softly.

A hint of a smile broke out on her face, "yes we got the bad guys, but you know Wainright's going to be insufferable milking this."

"Look if we keep giving him the credit, which he'll gladly garner, he may be promoted out of our hair before long. I would imagine he just sees this as a stepping stone in his illustrious career. I'll order that pizza shall I?"

"Extra pepperoni, don't forget"

Jane smiled indulgently, sometimes the way to Lisbon's heart was through her stomach.

* * *

 **A/N** My punctuation may have gone a bit to pot on this, in the rush to publish before my house guests descend for the New Year.


	9. Chapter 9 : Smoke gets in your eyes

**Chapter 9 – Smoke gets in your eyes.**

In the aftermath of the Walton kidnapping Wainright basked in the glow of the undeserved publicity, soaking up the plaudits. There had even been a Karen Cross special where the Congressman, the kidnapped girl Lucia and Wainright were reunited for a real emotional rollercoaster of an episode. Things were certainly looking good for Luther Wainright; he never batted an eyelid at the irony of it.

Their leader either had a selective memory or had started to believe his own press, Jane suspected the latter. Consequently they were allowed to just get on with their work, without the interminable team building exercises and meetings Wainright was disposed to.

Odenthal's trial was imminent; Jane had a very real fear that there would be one final attempt to derail the key witnesses. He was watching Lisbon like a hawk, concerned how far Odenthal's men would go in their desperation to scupper the trial. Wainright was unaware of their suspicions about Odenthal because no one completely trusted him; he might just be an over ambitious desk jockey, alternatively he could be Red John's man or part of the poison tree.

They had a fairly routine case which Jane could have solved in a day, if he were so inclined, but he chose to keep their schedule light so he could concentrate on keeping the team safe. They were a man down at the moment as Sarah was due to give birth, which made Jane even more circumspect about their vulnerability.

As soon as the baby, Ben, had been born Wayne sent some photographs over by phone. It was a bitter sweet moment for Jane. When Rigsby appeared a few hours later he was roundly congratulated by the team, albeit briefly by the consultant. Jane's absence did not go unnoticed by the team, but they understood the poignancy of the event for Jane and thought none the worse of his absence.

* * *

Unsure whether or not to leave Jane alone with his thoughts, Lisbon finally plucked up courage to ascend the stairs to the attic. She looked towards the open balcony, where Jane stood staring grimly over the city. Rigsby's good news had made painful memories flood back and rather than put a dampener on what should be joyful proceedings, Jane had quietly slipped away.

Of course he recognised the patter of some other tiny footsteps coming up the stairs, but he resolutely stared out into the night, not turning to acknowledge her presence. Tentatively Lisbon approached, still not sure whether her presence would be welcome, but reasoning at least Jane would know she was thinking of him. The lines of tension were etched into his face, the lips were set in a grim line beneath his watery eyes. All thoughts of walking away left Lisbon's mind and she sidled alongside him, slipping her arm around his waist and gently leaning into his side. It was her way of telling Jane that he was not alone.

It was reassuringly comforting, he slipped his arm around her shoulders to acknowledge the gesture, as they just stood there in the silence of the night. Jane's thoughts were of different times with a different woman, but the one beside him was strong enough to deal with that, she probably understood him better than anyone, perhaps even Angela. A treacherous tear escaped the corner of his eye, he hoped she would not notice it, but the comforting rub down his side suggested otherwise.

After a while Lisbon finally broke the silence."You OK now?"

He nodded silently, still looking into the night.

"Do you want me to leave?" She was wary of outstaying her welcome.

Jane tightened his grip on her shoulder indicating she should stay, his heart was still straining at the recollections of the past, but he did not want to be alone. Pulling himself together he finally said, "Don't go Lisbon. Will you stay over with me tonight? I can't face being alone."

It was so unlike Jane to ask for company; Lisbon appreciated how difficult it must have been for him to ask that. Knowing the offices would be deserted by now, she lead him downstairs to her car and they made their way to Jane's place picking up some take out on the way, though it was doubtful either would have much appetite for food.

"It must be so hard for you, bringing back all these memories. It's OK if you want to talk about them Jane, you don't have to pretend with me." Lisbon felt he needed to talk that evening.

Slowly the floodgates opened as Jane recalled the time of Charlotte's birth, they were just like any other parents worrying about their new born. As an only child Jane had no experience of living with a baby, and despite his book learned knowledge he was frightened of holding this tiny baby in his large hands lest he damaged her. Although he took a break from his work, within a couple of weeks he was back to working full out, leaving Angela to deal with the nitty gritty of rearing Charlotte.

Perhaps as a reaction to their own Carnie upbringing they went overboard buying the best of everything for their beloved daughter. Jane seemed lost in a world of his own, as he described her happy childhood up until that fateful day.

Lisbon said little, just squeezing his hand as a sign on encouragement, neither probing nor interrupting his train of thought.

"Thank you." Jane turned to her, his face uncharacteristically open and transparent.

"What for?" Lisbon quietly responded.

"Letting me talk about them, letting them live again through talking and sharing them with you. It's hard not acknowledging their existence or thinking back on the good times. It's as if I'm renouncing the value of their lives only concentrating on their final hours, when there were so many good things to remember. They were worth so much more than that." He was altogether calmer and more composed now.

"You know I'm always here for you, Jane." Her calm matter of fact manner, devoid of suffocating pity, had allowed him to open up for once. It had been both painful, but cathartic being able to acknowledge his lost ones for once.

Jane pulled her over to his side of the sofa and they rested against each other, Jane taking solace from the warmth of human contact he had so long denied himself.

At some stage during the night they had made their way to their own rooms and emerged rested a few hours later. They went about their morning rituals without any embarrassment, enjoying the comfortable familiarity, although they wanted to get into work early so that their arrival together would not be noticed.

* * *

As they made their way to the lift they noticed a shortish stocky dark haired man waiting for the lift, as they got closer they realised it was unmistakably Cho.

"Cho ?" Lisbon said, somewhat nonplussed at him being there.

The agent looked distinctly shifty, Jane just smirked.

Lisbon realised her own situation may require some explanation and started, "I gave Jane a lift home and it was late so I stopped in Jane's spare room."

"None of my business." Cho cut her off, hoping that his response would stop further enquiries on her part.

"Were you coming for Jane?" Lisbon blundered in.

Cho examined his feet, not responding to her question.

"Ahem, Lisbon I do believe young Cho has made the ultimate sacrifice to save a brother in arms. It is a far, far better thing that he has done, than he has ever done..." Jane smirked, knowing Cho would pick up on the literary reference.

"Just shut up Jane." Cho growled.

"Actually Lisbon, if it's alright with you I'll make my way in with Cho, I need him to drop me off somewhere on the way in." Jane innocently said looking forward to the drive in, much more than his erstwhile flatmate was.

Cho put up an invisible barrier to try and deflect Jane's interest, keeping his eyes firmly on the road.

Jane smirked. " So Claire then? I wasn't aware you had met. You're a brave man."

"Next time, kiss me not Lisbon. That woman should carry a health warning." Cho growled.

Apparently Claire had turned up in the office looking for Jane and had been taken by Cho's inscrutable looks, not to mention the handcuffs she had spotted attached to his belt. After much persuading on her part, they had agreed to meet at a local cocktail bar, and the rest as they say is history. It was with much relief that Cho finally dropped off Jane off at some shops a block away from the office, though not interested in the prurient details Jane's playful nature enjoyed tweaking Cho's nose as payback for all the pranks he had played on Jane.

When the consultant finally appeared a bit later, he went straight over to Rigsby and presented him with a little soft baby blue elephant. "It's called Daisy, if anyone asks. You'll be a great father Wayne, make the most of it."

The big guy was a bit choked, that meant so much coming from Jane. Grace and Cho kept their heads down until Jane made his way to his sofa, before finally turning to smile at Rigsby. They were not untouched themselves by what they had witnessed. That was the thing about Jane, he could be condescending and infuriating much of the time but then he would disarm them completely with simple acts of heartfelt kindness, they couldn't help but like the guy.

Sarah had been kept in for a day but Rigsby was due to pick her up after work. The big guy was determined to make this work for Ben's sake; they would build a stable home environment with both parents playing a full role. Wayne's mother had done a fine job raising him, with little input from his father, so Rigsby knew there was no stigma attached to being raised by a single parent, and all things considered it was probably better they had little contact with his own father.

* * *

In the distance Jane noted Wainright entering Lisbon's office, he speculated on what new found ways of driving them to distraction their Fuhrer had come up with. High on all the attention he was getting, Wainright was turning into a ridiculous popinjay, bandying his opinions and theories around. Jane reflected on Mark Twain's sage counsel "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

When Lisbon came out into the bullpen afterwards, Jane could see she had that long suffering look that a session with Wainright instilled, she rolled her eyes at Jane before calling the team over to the conference table.

"Look, I know this isn't the sort of thing we normally do but Wainright has been persuaded into offering our services to check out an anonymous threat against Senator Holmes. It was called in this morning, and after Wainright's successful handling of the hostage situation the Senator personally called for his team." Lisbon did not dare look Jane in the eye as she spoke; they were still keeping up the pretence that Wainright had masterminded the plan.

Cho looked at her sceptically, not believing the spin on Wainright's role at all.

"Do you have a problem Kimball?" She said sharply.

"No, anything for our leader Boss." Cho deadpanned her, as Jane and Rigsby just smirked.

"Right, well let's get on with it then shall we." Lisbon was slowly losing her rag at the futility of it all, suspecting this was just another one of Wainright's glory hunting jaunts. "The company van in ten minutes, Wainright's coming with us." She had a pained expression on her face and barked out, "you too Jane." Lisbon glared in his direction, all softness and sympathy long forgotten.

With a barely concealed smirk, Jane jumped to his feet, clicking his heels together. "Jawohl, mein Kommandant." The rest of the team just stared at their desks, not daring to show any sign of amusement for fear of a full blown Lisbon explosion.

It was fairly obvious that this was a hoax, but in the interests of propriety, not to mention Wainright's career, they had to be seen to be chasing down all potential leads. Jane just followed Lisbon round with an amused smile on his face, watching as she interviewed the entitled Senator about the alleged threat he had received. Lisbon was on tenterhooks, just hoping Jane would not intervene; he normally couldn't resist having a dig at anyone in a position of authority. In fact Jane was totally disinterested in the threat as such, but curious as to what was behind it, wondering if it were just a ruse to bring the team out, so he stayed at Lisbon's side just keeping an eye on proceedings.

Of course that situation couldn't last forever. Witnessing Wainright's obsequious performance, assuring the Senator all avenues had been covered and in all likelihood this was just another hoax, Jane just couldn't help himself.

"Out of interest Senator, what is it that makes you think you would be a target? Is it matters of State or some tawdry side business? An illicit affair with your aide or perhaps an abuse of your position for monetary gain?" Jane smiled charmingly as he delivered the deadly arrow.

The Senator blustered angrily, at least one of those had hit home. Jane continued politely. "Of course, I'm guessing the former, a man in your position would not risk his career over something so tawdry or so trivial."

Jane turned and walked away, leaving Lisbon open mouthed in horror at the mess Jane had created. Lisbon habitually cleared up after Jane, but Wainright was a different matter. Crap, how could Jane be so stupid?

They made their way to the van, as Wainright continued with his grovelling apology to the Senator. Lisbon got into the driver's seat and noticed her seat had been moved back. "Strange, I need to move my seat forward." She leant forward to put the keys in the ignition, but Jane suddenly lurched over her shoulder and grabbed the keys out of her hand.

"Everyone out of the van now," he yelled.

Confused they followed his lead and moved away from the vehicle, only to be met by a simmering Wainright.

"What up now?" The Senior Agent snapped.

"The van's been tampered with, we need to call in security to check for explosives." Jane stated with absolute certainty. The team looked at each other, thinking Jane had finally lost it, but knowing his hunches were rarely completely unfounded.

"Is this another of your games Jane - can't you help yourself? You always have to pull off these stunts where they're going to have maximum impact. Do you have any idea how inept this makes the CBI look, calling in the bomb squad on an unsubstantiated hunch? I warned you one more stunt like this and I would recommend the CBI discontinue you permanently as a consultant."

"It's not a hunch, someone has been in the van and altered Lisbon's seat position." The team were fidgeting with embarrassment, witnessing the standoff between the two men, they had to admit Jane's explanation sounded a bit thin.

Wainright raised his eyebrows and smirked derisively. " So, the seat has moved - that's your whole justification for this circus? " He turned to the team, "get in the van now, we need to get back."

Lisbon hesitated, she had not got the keys after all. "Perhaps we ought to wait for the bomb squad Sir , Jane's rarely wrong on these things."

The Senior Agent glared at her "You too Lisbon? I should have guessed you would support him." Lisbon bridled at the barbed comment.

"Cho, Rigsby just get the keys, one of you can drive," Wainright ordered. The two agents looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Jane stepped in. "Look, no one's going anywhere, I've got the keys and won't hand them over until the bomb squad come. It's going to look a bit strange if you order Cho and Rigsby to wrestle me to the ground to get the keys."

Wainright walked over to him and stared him in the face. "Pack your things up when we get back, you're finished." He snatched the keys from Jane's hand and marched to the vehicle.

"You let him take those Jane, what have you done?" Lisbon said, before trying to run after Wainright. Jane grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her in her tracks; he was stronger than he looked. "It's no good he won't listen, hopefully he's right and I've misread the situation."

The team looked on with horror as Wainright got in the van, either way this was going to end badly.

The van went up in a fireball as the explosion ripped through it; they looked at each other partly in relief that they were safe, but also in horror at what they had just witnessed.

Jane was the only one unaffected, he just shook his head. "Always a shame to see a career go up in smoke." Lisbon screwed her face up in disgust at his indifference to what had just happened.

He looked around. "Anyone know of a good diner around here? I'm starving. Guess we are on foot for now." Without further ado Jane walked off as the sirens signalled the arrival of the emergency services.

There was nothing more Jane could do and he left the team to wrap up, comforted in the thought that at least the rest of the team were safe and another attack was unlikely. A cynical smirk crossed his face as he wondered how this was going to be written up, no doubt it would be whitewashed to show Wainright in a heroic light. Bertram and Shettrick would go into overdrive to extract every last bit of sympathy out of this. Try as he might, he could not muster much sympathy for the Senior Agent, although he acknowledged Wainright had not deserved to die.

Rigsby felt more relief than the others, imagining his son starting his life without his father. Cho had been watching him, suspecting that Rigsby may be in shock, he went over to have a quick word with Lisbon, who had been busy dealing with the security services, she glanced round at Rigsby and nodded to Cho.

"Boss says you're to go now, there's nothing you can do. We'll take it from here. Go and see your family." Cho gave him a friendly slap on the back before returning to the business in hand.

"Give your son a hug from me Wayne." Grace gave him a peck on the cheek. "Go on before Lisbon changes her mind."

Wayne turned up at the hospital clutching a tiny blue toy elephant, Sarah raised her eyebrows quizzically.

"It's Daisy, our lucky charm. Let's go home now." Wayne held his son, reflecting how differently the day could have turned out.


	10. Chapter 10 : Legion

**Chapter 10 - Legion**

Lisbon was taking stock of the situation as she aimlessly shuffled the paperwork on her desk, a brush with death always made you reflective. Her relief at their narrow escape was tinged with guilt over the fact they had not prevented Wainright's headstrong plunge to disaster.

The reaction to Wainright's untimely demise made her reflect on her own position; she really should have done something about the threat to her team sooner. There was a moral prerogative to protect the team and she could be accused of dereliction of duty in not trying to nip this in the bud earlier. Had Jane wielded undue influence in this regard? If he had, she needed to seriously look at her actions and her affiliation to him to see if it was detrimental to her job. Were they all too wrapped up in his quest for vengeance to act rationally?

A tap on the door frame alerted her to the presence of the consultant, who was watching her warily.

"You're thinking too much Lisbon. Cut yourself some slack on this." Jane didn't hold out much hope of that.

"A man died today Jane, one of our own. It's not to be taken lightly."

"Spit it out Lisbon. Whatever is eating away at you just say it."

"I can't help feeling we should have done more to stop Wainright." She finally came out with what was bugging her.

Jane breathed out heavily, he guessed this would weigh heavily on her conscience. "Teresa, what could we do? You tell me what we could have done differently."

"We could have stopped him taking the keys." Lisbon surveyed his face to gauge his reaction to the implied criticism.

"You would have had me fight Wainright off? For one thing he had the element of surprise when he took the keys, but yes I could have grappled with him to try and get the keys back. It would have all been a bit ridiculous, but yes in an alternative universe I could have engaged with him. Is that really what you think I should have done?" Jane spoke softly, treading carefully, he didn't want Lisbon to think he was mocking her.

"No, of course not. Oh, I don't know Jane, I just feel we should have tried harder." She said despondently.

"Well for one thing, Wainright was right it was just a hunch, I didn't know for sure and you all thought I'd flipped."

"Yes we did, but you knew."Lisbon was starting to sound more accusing now.

"Surmised not knew." Jane insisted.

"Semantics Jane – you were as sure as you could be." She countered.

"He wouldn't listen, we warned him. He would have gotten you all killed, if he had his way. I couldn't let that happen." Jane realised that would not go down well, but it was how he felt.

Lisbon looked sharply at him, was that an admission he had cold bloodedly let Wainright walk to his death? "We could have tried harder."

A new voice piped up from behind Jane. "Boss, there was nothing anyone could do. Rigsby and I could hardly restrain him. Jane might have been wrong after all and where would that have left the team? We would have all have ended up on the scrap heap. It was Wainright's judgement call, his responsibility." Cho stated matter of factly, he wasn't going to lose any sleep about that.

Lisbon looked at Jane accusingly. "There you see, the whole team's drunk the Kool Aid now. This is my fault, the lack of discipline and my failure to follow through on all these events, we should have passed our concerns up the tree."

"It's not Jane's fault. Wainright would have gotten us all killed. Rigsby's son would never have known his father. Sorry Boss, you're taking this on yourself too much. It wasn't your fault either. Besides, who could we trust to report this to?" Cho was trying to be the voice of reason.

"You two have spent too much time together, you're both singing off the same hymn sheet now. I'm telling you things have got to change." She gave Cho an accusing glare for what she considered to be his traitorous defence of Jane.

Jane attempted to pacify her. "Lisbon you run the most efficient, uncorrupted unit in the CBI, why would you want to change anything? The fact that you are beating yourself up about this, examining your and our actions is precisely why you shouldn't change. No one is more capable of appraising whether they have fallen short of their own standards than you are.

"However Lisbon, I do agree with you on one thing, we need to take control of this investigation now. We need to find out more about Odenthal's brother – he's ex army, maybe he has some explosives expertise. We were lured out there with murderous intent, someone needs to be held account for that."

"I'll see what Van Pelt can find out about him," with that Cho left them.

"Just for the record Lisbon, what's the party Line on Wainright's death. Just so I don't put my foot in it."

Lisbon passed Shettrick's press release over to Jane.

" _The rising star of the CBI Luther Wainright was killed in action today, brutally murdered in an explosion while he was investigating a threat against Senator Holmes. The vehicle he was driving had been booby trapped and the vehicle exploded with Wainright in it. Fortunately the rest of his team had not yet joined him and escaped injury. Naturally everyone is shocked and upset at the loss of their esteemed colleague, but Director Bertram and Senator Holmes have given their full support to_ _the CBI to take whatever measures necessary to track down these heinous villains. The rule of law will be upheld and the perpetrators apprehended no matter what the cost."_

The rest of the press release contained a précis of the meteoric rise of Wainright together with various fatuous but no doubt _heartfelt_ statements from the Senator and Bertram who were clearly hijacking events for their own ends.

Jane just raised his eyebrows "No mention of what happened before then?"

"No we didn't actually call in the bomb squad before the explosion, so there is no need for anyone to know anything about that. It would serve no useful purpose."

"I'm glad you're safe Teresa, my only consolation is that I wouldn't have known anything about it had the worst happened. I couldn't live with losing you." The sincerity of his words were beyond question.

"Thank you Jane, we all owe you for today." She responded softly.

"Call your brothers tonight Teresa, don't let things slip too long. Life's too short." With that he left Lisbon to reflect on their tumultuous day.

* * *

In the immediate aftermath of the Wainright killing Bertram decided to be more hands on and dispense with the intermediate role, expecting the team leaders to answer directly to him and take on more of the management responsibilities. It also enabled Bertram to keep a close eye on the Wainright investigation, which was proving to be particularly unnerving for Lisbon - she just knew Jane wouldn't be able to resist a metaphorical tweak of Bertram's nose at some stage. Generally Bertram coped pretty well with Jane, after all he was a pragmatist, so long as he ended up on the winning side he would put up with Jane's peccadilloes to a degree.

Lisbon reached out for the glass of water on her desk and took some Tylenol from her bag; the effects of tension and her excessive caffeine intake had combined to give her a pounding headache. She closed her eyes and held her head in her hands as she waited for the painkillers to kick in. Her mental processes just weren't functioning, although she knew the wise course of action was to go home there was still a mountain of paperwork on her desk that needed attention.

"I can help with that." A familiar voice said from the doorway.

Lisbon looked up sharply, she had thought she was alone. "You certainly can help, at least half this paperwork is down to you."

"A bit of an exaggeration my dear Lisbon. Haven't you noticed I've been on my best behaviour with our Lord and Master in attendance?" Jane tried to sooth her.

"Really? So what was that comment you said to Bertram about the best managers being like oxygen, invisible?" Lisbon was getting annoyed again thinking about it.

Jane just chuckled."Yes, I thought he rather liked that one. I'm sure he'll use that line himself. Stop worrying Lisbon, believe me what I was thinking was a lot worse."

"Just don't Jane! I've got a splitting headache. I don't need any more aggravation."

Lisbon really did look a bit rough round the edges, Jane took pity on her. "Actually when I said I could help, I meant with your headache. If you will permit me, I can relieve the tension by massaging the pressure points on your skull and temples. I learned how to do it to relax my clients, they were often quite stressed when I met them."

"I bet they were when they got the bill." She quipped acerbically.

"True but that's in the past now. I don't charge these days. May I?" Jane really did want to help her wind down.

"It's worth a try - no monkey business though."

Jane smiled at her reticence and slowly began kneading her neck and temples until he could feel the tension start to dissipate. "How's that Lisbon - any better?"

"Uuum. Don't stop that's a lot better." She purred as his skilful hands eased away her tension."That's amazing where did you learn that?"

"Reflexology course - some clients liked the hands on stuff." Jane shrugged dismissively, personally he was sceptical but he had learned to talk the talk.

Lisbon snorted "I bet they did."

"I assure you it was nothing like that, if they were relaxed it just made them more amenable to suggestion." He grimaced, knowing how cynical that made him sound." Now let's go through these papers so we can get you out of here." Jane took the mountain of papers and quickly sorted them into piles. The non essential items formed the largest pile - more of Shettrick's outreach programmes and bureaucratic paper trails, Jane knew most of the team leaders just ignored them. The essential pile had been whittled down to a manageable size. "Here you are this won't take long to go through. I'll make you some tea while you do them."

When Lisbon had just about finished she posed a question that she had been mulling over all day. "Do you think we should mention the Odenthal business to Bertram, Jane?"

Jane thought carefully before giving a reasoned response. "I imagine he is probably aware of it, so on balance I think it's better to come clean rather than let him think we don't trust him."

"But we don't trust him, Jane."

"I know, but we don't want him to know we don't. I'll do it if you want Lisbon, besides it gives me a chance to do a read on him." Jane was glad to have an excuse to tackle Bertram.

"OK but go careful," Lisbon's words were spoken more in hope than expectation.

* * *

Grace's research had revealed Karl Odenthal had left the army under a cloud of suspicion; he had been an explosives ordnance officer. Although no charges were brought against him, there was talk of discrepancies on the manifests and suspicions that army equipment was finding its way into criminal hands.

Both the Odenthals had been Junior Cadets and had gone through basic training, the elder more academic brother chose to pursue a career in law. Both obviously had flaws in their character and it was entirely possible that the elder brother's anger was being channelled through his younger sibling, it was imperative they located him. They checked with the prison service and sure enough there was a visit scheduled for Karl, which would give them an opportunity to apprehend him.

Rigsby was back in work now and it was decided that he and Cho could bring the younger Odenthal in, Cho would stand no messing if things got physical. With the plan in action Jane decided it was time to face Bertram.

Bertram was dividing his time between the Capitol buildings and the CBI, and had commandeered Wainright's office while he was at the CBI.

Jane waited until the end of the day when there would be fewer interruptions, a faint smile passed his lips as he walked unannounced into the office. "Ah Bertram, a word with you, if I may."

Bertram, who had not been noticeably doing anything in particular, affected a weary air. "I don't believe we have a meeting scheduled Patrick - is this absolutely necessary?"

Jane started tentatively. "Well I know you keep your ear to the ground, I just wondered what you had heard about the explosion investigation."

"Surely I'm supposed to be asking you that? I'm not involved in the operational side. Although I must say it was fortunate, for your team at any rate, that you guessed about the bomb." Bertram was good, he slipped that in effortlessly.

"Interesting that you know that, it kind of proves my point though. In that case you are probably aware of the ongoing incidents at the SCU, the team has been systematically targeted over the last few months." Bertram was a slippery customer and Jane was treading carefully.

"Well you do seem to have been rather accident prone Patrick, are you implying the incidents are linked?"

Jane paused as he studied Bertram, who was sipping his coffee."Yes. It's largely supposition but we suspect there is a link with the Odenthal trial."

"Interesting and why would you think that?" Bertram's urbane demeanour gave nothing away.

"It's all rather tenuous at this stage but we believe Odenthal's brother may be targeting witnesses in the hope of derailing the trial." Jane looked closely for any micro-expressions that might betray Bertram.

"I'm surprised Wainright didn't tell me about this." Bertram commented.

"We didn't tell him. We hadn't worked with him long enough to know if we could trust him." Jane was unexpectedly honest for once.

"Really Patrick that's not the way it works, he was your supervisor and had a right to know. Look, I know you have a different way of thinking about things and I'm OK with that so long as the cases get closed, it's why we employ you after all. But you can't pick and chose who you answer to. Anyhow why is it you telling me this not Lisbon?" Bertram turned the scrutiny back on Jane.

" I wanted to speak to you anyhow and offered to pass the information on. Besides I needed to find out what was common knowledge." Jane was on the defensive now.

"Really Patrick, this is all very irregular. You're not supposed to question me."Bertram was getting quite exasperated by this stage.

Jane looked seriously at him "We're just trying to establish what is known outside the unit, so we can gauge where the threat lies. I think you have your own sources, not surprising really. A man in your position needs to know what's going on to keep control."

It was all an elaborate double bluff as Jane and Bertram played each other, neither giving away more than they wanted to, unless it was to throw the other off balance.

* * *

Lisbon was in the observation room watching Cho attempt to grind down the younger Odenthal. She was aware that Jane had slipped in, but she was wrapped up in the interrogation. Finally she ventured. "It's uncanny the similarity in their voices, that same annoying whine. This is the man you heard isn't it?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, I'm not going to forget that voice. What has Cho found out?"

"Not much yet, Cho's trying to go over dates and locations at present. Will you want to go in at any stage?" She was half listening to the interrogation as they spoke.

"Later perhaps, don't want to make it easy for him."

They observed as Cho was persistently stonewalled by Karl Odenthal, his army training had prepared him for situations like this, he gave nothing away refusing to incriminate himself in any way. Cho tried every trick in his book to no real effect.

"Are you going to have a crack at him - we're getting nowhere." Lisbon thought it was time Cho had a break.

"Just pull Cho out for now - leave him for a couple of hours. I'll go in later." Jane hoped it might unsettle Karl if he was just left to his own devices.

Surprisingly the suspect had not requested legal representation, preferring to deal with it himself so there was no pressure on them to do anything. The techs went in to take DNA and hair samples from Karl, they would test for traces of explosives on him which would linger long after the event. Karl remained impassive throughout.

Eventually Jane decided to make his entrance, there was the briefest flicker on Karl's face but impressively he maintained his composure.

"We meet again." Jane began waiting for any response, he was in no hurry.

Jane idly began playing with a coin in his hand, it was a distraction technique. Karl could not help but notice it, although he maintained his stony facade. It would just make it harder for Karl to concentrate.

Jane started to talk almost conversationally, all the while threading the coin between his fingers. "It's strange how two brothers raised the same way can follow such different paths in their lives. One urbane and clever using his intelligence to further his career in the legal world, the other putting his guile and cunning to use in the armed forces, probably no less intelligent but without the patience to endure years of study and training. The army provided an outlet for his kind of intelligence offering rapid promotion up to a point but then he hit a barrier. The psychometric tests revealed characteristics that had been previously hidden, indicators of antisocial personality disorder with a reckless disregard for the safety of others and a propensity for deception for personal gain.

"Being thwarted in your ambitions, it was only natural you would look for sidelines to compensate for the road block in your career. Some dubious acquaintances soon put you in contact with people who could use your position in the armed forces to good effect, and before long you had established a significant alternative revenue stream. When people began to suspect what was going on you managed to transfer the blame onto a hapless subordinate, but the whiff of corruption hung around you and although nothing could be proven, you were strongly advised to take your leave of the army."

"Was money a substitute for the power and respect your brother enjoyed? Although as it has turned out you were not so different after all - Marc was just better at keeping that side of his personality hidden."

A slight smirk had appeared on Karl's face although he continued to look ahead. All of a sudden Jane dropped the coin and sent it spinning across the table, finally getting a reaction from Karl as his eyes involuntarily followed the spinning coin. When he finally raised his eyes, they were firmly caught in Jane's gaze.

"Hello Karl, nice to meet you at last." Jane pronounced with mock civility.

Karl held his gaze before finally speaking "I can't say the feeling is reciprocated."

"Well you would hardly have expected to meet me again after the last time." Jane taunted.

Karl pulled a face, knowing better than to answer that question.

"Tell me Karl, you don't seem the type to have particularly strong feelings for anyone, not even your brother. Why are you doing this? Does Marc really exert that much control over you?"

Karl laughed derisively."Marc - seriously? You think Marc's the mastermind?"

This was an unexpected turn of events."Well now you say it like that it does seem a bit improbable, but there is a connection with Marc isn't there? Whoever is orchestrating this needs Marc for something or Marc has some hold over them."

Lisbon and Cho were watching with interest from the observation room, wondering where this was all leading. Cho was pulled away to a call briefly while Lisbon continued to follow the conversation.

"I'm just a cog in the machinery and a dispensable one at that. You won't learn anything from me Mr Jane, whatever tricks you try."

There was a knock at the door and a guard appeared carrying a tray with tea and coffee. "Agent Cho asked me to bring these in."

Jane didn't recognise the guard in question but thought he saw a flicker of recognition of Karl's face.

Lisbon was a bit suspicious and as soon as Cho came back she checked. "Did you send some drinks in for Jane?"

Cho shook his head. "No, why would I do that?"

"Oh crap!" She stared banging on the window and Cho went running into the interrogation room. At the first sign of commotion Karl started to down his drink. Jane soon picked on what was going on and tried to take the drink off Karl but it was too late, he had already ingested enough of the deadly toxin which was already starting to take its effect.

Karl was slumped back in his chair but managed to whisper through a twisted smile. "We are legion, we are many."

They watched helplessly as he succumbed to the effects of the poison. The room was closed off waiting for forensics to arrive, fortunately none of them had touched anything so there was no danger to them.

"You OK Jane?" Lisbon was concerned at his distracted look.

Jane held up his hand in re-assurance "Fine. I'm just thinking. There's a lot to take in, this is much bigger than we thought. I'm going to lie down for a bit, I need to get my head round this."

Lisbon looked at Cho. "What was that we are legion crap?"

"There's another one where he came from." Cho sardonically replied.

"Jeez, when is this ever going to end?" Lisbon's head was pounding and there was no Jane to help this time.


	11. Chapter 11 : Old Enemies

**Chapter 11 - Old Enemies**

Elvis was either getting a bit faded or the ceiling was turning an homogenous shade of grey. Jane's eyes remained fixed on the spot as he tried to block out the sound of Rigsby in full geek mode, who was analysing the forensic report on the bomb in great detail and out loud. Initially Cho had feigned interest but was rapidly losing the will to live, Grace just kept typing away as Rigsby droned on and on about IED's, trigger mechanisms and constituent parts. Unable to think or sleep against the background of the commentary Jane got up and walked past the desks to the kitchen. Rigsby tried to stop him but Jane irritably snapped "I've got it Wayne, it was a big bomb that's all I need to know."

Rigsby looked at Cho "What's up with him? I was only trying to fill him in with the detail."

Cho's eyes followed Jane to the kitchen. "He's just trying to work things out Rigs, probably just needs a bit of quiet." Cho carried his mug to the kitchen to find out what was going on.

Jane was tapping the countertop irritably waiting for the kettle to boil. "You don't have to say anything Cho. I know I shouldn't have snapped."

"Hey, I was going to thank you man, one bomb sounds very much like another after a while. I thought he was supposed to be going through the sleepless night stage, instead he's running round like the Duracell Bunny." Cho's dry wit made Jane smile at times.

"Well you would have thought that, I don't know many parents of new born babies who are that hyperactive. Have you asked him how things are going?" Jane's ill temper quickly dissipated, Cho's observation about Rigsby intrigued him.

"I daren't, he might tell me. Sounds like a job for Van Pelt." Cho wasn't going to get caught again, last time he had asked about Ben there had definitely been TMI.

Jane smirked, knowing exactly where Cho was coming from. "Anyhow back to bombs, did they match the explosives to the samples on Odenthal?"

"No, there were no traces of explosives in the samples, assuming you can trust forensics. It looks like this was a contract kill. The techs are going over his computer to see what they can find, Van Pelt wanted to do it herself but the techs insisted on having first go. I don't think she expects there will be anything worth looking at by time she gets it. She's started following the money trail, there were some significant transactions between Odenthal and a company Alizarin Enterprises."

Jane went quiet as he considered what Cho had told him. "Can we bring their website up and have a look round it." They gathered round Van Pelt's desk as she deftly manoeuvred her way round the site which specialised in high end protection and detection equipment and offered tailored services on request.

Lisbon came over and peered over Van Pelt's shoulder "Hey, what are looking at?"

"Some company Odenthal had dealings with Boss." Van Pelt replied. "Jane wanted to see what services they offered."

"Alizarin...Alizarin. That rings a bell." Lisbon scoured her memory to recall where she had heard that, slowly she raised her eyes to look at Jane who was staring intently at her. "Jane, a word in my office please."

Cho and Van Pelt watched them disappear into the office and close the door firmly. Cho could tell there was something that Lisbon and Jane wanted to keep quiet; he would let it pass for now but would Google Alizarin later at home.

"Curious isn't it Lisbon, it could be a coincidence but I doubt it." Jane was impressed she had made the connection.

"I don't understand Jane, it's not the way he works." She had learned to be sceptical about coincidences but it was difficult to see a connection.

"No it's not and I must confess I haven't pieced everything together yet. I need some time to myself, I'll be in the attic if you need me. We'll talk again later but if Van Pelt can carry on with her research it may reveal something we can work with."

Jane felt Cho's watchful gaze as he made his way out of the bullpen, it was obvious Cho wasn't fooled in the slightest. Jane acknowledged his look with a barely perceptible nod of his head, he had too much respect for the agent to do otherwise. Satisfied with Jane's cursory admission, Cho proceeded to make light of their disappearance with Van Pelt and took the opportunity to see if she knew how Rigsby was getting on.

"Doesn't sound as if it's all plain sailing at the moment. Sarah went mad when she heard about the bomb, she wants Wayne to move to a desk job for the sake of their son. Wayne says it's his job and she knew what he did when they got together and they've fallen out big time about it. Apparently he's in the spare room and Sarah's got the baby in with her." Van Pelt just raised an eyebrow as she looked at Cho, there was no love lost for public defenders at the CBI.

"Doesn't sound good. What's Rigs going to do about it?" Cho had doubts about that relationship from the start but he knew Rigsby was committed to his son.

"Well I had a thought, don't know how you feel about it. What if I do more field work and Wayne does the backup in the office. That might appease Sarah." Van Pelt still wanted the best for Rigsby even now.

"We'd have to pass that by Lisbon. Do you think he would buy that?" Cho thought the experience would be good for Van Pelt but he would miss the big guy.

"Well it might get them over a bumpy patch - if Sarah's prepared to meet him half way." Van Pelt thought it was worth a shot, they had nothing to lose by trying.

"Ok I'll pass it by the Boss." Like Grace, Cho just wanted the best for Rigsby.

Lisbon was more than amenable to the arrangement, it would give Grace a chance to go out in the field but she couldn't make any guarantees that Rigsby wouldn't have to go out in the field.

* * *

Jane had been in his man cave most of the day; he finally emerged when everyone bar Lisbon had called it a day. "Thought you could do with one of these, I expect you've worked through without a break again." He bestowed a benevolent smile on her as he passed her a mug of tea, before making himself comfortable on her sofa. It was obvious she wasn't eating properly again and was looking decidedly gaunt."Fancy a bite to eat later, somewhere quiet where we can talk?"

"Oh I don't know Jane, I just want to crash out. Unless we have a take out at my place?" She was hungry but just wanted to relax in her own surroundings.

"Done. I'll meet you there in an hour - what do you fancy or shall I chose?" Jane was more than happy with that suggestion, there would be no time constraints at her home.

"Surprise me." Lisbon knew full well he would pick her favourites anyhow.

Freshly showered and changed Lisbon was ready for food when Jane arrived. With her hair scraped back into a simple pony tail and her face stripped bare Lisbon looked surprisingly young and vulnerable. Her pale complexion and the shadows under her eyes revealed the extent of her tiredness. Jane regretted suggesting the meal when he took in her appearance, however he knew that left to her own devices she wouldn't have bothered eating properly.

"Shall I do the honours?" He swept past her not waiting for an answer, making his way to the kitchen. Some essential supplies he'd picked up as precautionary measure were surreptitiously slipped into the empty fridge. Jane had chosen Lisbon's favourite Italian comfort food and had bought a soft Californian Red wine to go with it, nothing ostentatious but smooth and delicate, certainly not hangover inducing.

They sat at the rarely used dining set that doubled as a desk, enjoying their food in companionable silence. Lisbon's face finally began to regain some colour, fortified by the wine or perhaps she was just starting to wind down. Either way she was starting to feel human again and would soon be asking questions.

"Lisbon just leave it, we can talk tomorrow just relax for now. I'm sure this will make more sense when we are both rested." In truth Jane hadn't really sorted his thoughts out so he wasn't sure how productive the talks would be anyhow.

"Yes, but I've another full on day tomorrow. Freaking paperwork is driving me up the wall, it almost makes me appreciate desk jockeys like Wainright." At times like this Lisbon wondered whether management roles were really worth the bother.

Jane smiled, she was way too conscientious. "Lisbon half the stuff you get will never come to anything just put it in the pending tray until someone chases and if it is still there after a couple of weeks just put it in the round file. You've really got to learn to cut yourself some slack. These schemes they come up with are straight out of some rookie management book, but all they succeed in doing is clogging up the system and stopping valuable resources like you from doing what they're good at."

"Well you would say that Jane in your capacity as the scourge of middle managers." Lisbon was well aware of his distaste for procedure and systems of any kind.

"I don't limit myself to middle managers, believe me Lisbon I'm an equal opportunity offender. Just ask Bertram." Jane added with a twinkle in his eye.

"Tell me about it. I daren't leave you alone with a bigwig - it just means more grovelling and apologies." Despite her mock disapproval, she secretly enjoyed some of Jane's antics.

"Well don't apologise." Jane shrugged, in his opinion Lisbon needed to accept it was necessary to ruffle a few feathers.

"Easy for you to say, we rely on their support." Lisbon fell back on her standard defence.

"And how did that work for you when you were facing prosecution? Admit it Lisbon, they wash their hands of the proletariat at the first sign of trouble." Jane was enjoying teasing her, it was so easy getting her to take the bait.

"Perhaps, but I guess we ought to go back to what we originally intended to talk about." Lisbon sighed, not really looking forward to this discussion.

"Look it's late now, we can reconvene tomorrow if you want." It seemed neither of them had any great appetite for this subject.

"We'll see how it goes. I'm a bit more awake now at least we can make a start."

"So where do you want to start?" Jane's brow was already furrowed in anticipation of what would follow.

"Red John I guess – where does he fit in to all this?" Lisbon went straight to the point.

"Honestly I don't know. I can imagine a connection between him and Odental junior, possibly fencing army supplies through Alizarin, but none of this smacks of Red John. It's way too subtle, Red John would have made more of a statement. It's been bugging me why Red John allowed the attacks on us – in a perverse way his interest in us normally affords us a degree of protection." All traces of levity had left him as his face set into a grim facade and he stared distractedly into the distance.

"Maybe he decided to give up after your trial. It's not inconceivable that he's called it a day with everyone thinking Red John is dead." Lisbon was playing the Devil's advocate, she didn't believe Red John would ever give up where Jane was concerned.

"I did consider that but I think he enjoys taunting me too much for that. For some reason he's out of the loop for now, either out of the area or indisposed for some reason." Jane inhaled deeply as they went over the same ground he had already trodden earlier in the day, still a fresh perspective did no harm.

"Perhaps he's dead." Lisbon suggested, surely they couldn't be that lucky?

"Considered that too, it's a possibility but I can't afford to assume that. I get the feeling there is something bigger than Red John going on here, maybe he was just a small part of it tolerated as a blunt instrument, a scion grafted onto the rootstock of the main tree." Although unsure of exactly what was going on, Jane was coming to conclusion Red John was only a minor player in the grand scheme, albeit he was a major player in Jane's life.

"So what do we do?" Lisbon was unsure how best to play this.

"Carry on as normal, just do our jobs and try to identify the bomber. I doubt we'll be able to trace him back to anyone. You'll probably find the money trail leads back to some offshore shell company but we'll go through the motions. Something will give eventually."

Lisbon's returning pallor indicated she was flagging again, reaching out for her hand Jane gently remonstrated, "Teresa, I know you think you have to work twice as hard as a woman to prove yourself but honestly you've got nothing to prove, you don't have to chase every demon down."

Typically Lisbon brushed any concerns to one side."Out of interest Jane, how long is your list of possible suspects?"

"Less than twenty, most of them aren't serious contenders but there are red flags that can't be entirely ruled out." Jane said cautiously - they were getting into dangerous territory, Lisbon usually respected his boundaries.

"So we work through your list Jane and see what they are doing at this moment in time."

Jane slapped his hand dramatically to his forehead."Why didn't I think of that?" His words were dripping with sarcasm.

Lisbon just pulled a face at him."OK, no need to be like that. I don't know what you're doing half the time. So how far have you got?"

"I can account for the whereabouts of most of them, there's just a few more I've got to track down." He admitted.

Although she expected to be rebuffed Lisbon couldn't help herself. "Such as who? Maybe I can help."

"Oh nice try Lisbon – it's too dangerous to tell you." Jane admired her persistence but that was a step too far.

"Like it's so safe round here! "She scoffed."I only want to help"

"Patience, I'll know soon enough." There was no way he was telling her before he had time to dig a bit deeper himself.

Lisbon let it go for now. Jane wasn't the only one with a list of suspects, she would do her own research and see what it threw up.

* * *

 **A/N** Bit if a filler, time is at a premium at the moment.


	12. Chapter 12 : The Unveiling

**Chapter 12 – The Unveiling**

Rigsby had agreed to the new arrangement and had reached a truce with Sarah for the time being, hopefully when things settled down a bit with Ben they would be able to have a rational conversation about work. So it fell to Van Pelt and Cho to chase down an unexpected lead in connection with Wainright's murder. A CCTV camera on one of the buildings directly facing a leafy avenue leading away the Capitol building, had picked up someone of interest leaving around the allotted timeframe.

The facial recognition software had identified him as a known felon Saul Fishman who was wanted in several states; there were a number of unexplained deaths involving explosions in which he was implicated. Van Pelt's research had tracked him down to a rundown part of South Oak Park. They left with little expectation of finding anything other than an abandoned house, so they were pleasantly surprised by the sound of music and laughter coming from the back of the property.

They donned their vests before carefully making their way round to the back of the property, and then slipped in through the open French doors. Although they had the element of surprise Fishman put up a fight, leaving Van Pelt with a bloodied nose. Cho finally overpowered him assisted by Van Pelt, who landed a few retaliatory blows of her own. It was essential that they took Fishman back for further questioning relatively unscathed, so Cho got Van Pelt to cool it. Who knew she would be such a badass?

Rigsby wasn't particularly enjoying being deskbound and was pleased to see the return of his co-workers. When he saw Grace's injuries Rigsby was mortified that she had gotten hurt standing in for him. Van Pelt just brushed off his concerns. "Wayne don't worry about it. None of us should get hurt, but why not me? Do you ever see Lisbon shy away from anything?"

It was little comfort for Rigsby, quite apart from his residual feelings for Van Pelt, he deeply resented being put in this position.

* * *

As expected Fishman knew or at least admitted nothing, and their evidence was circumstantial to say the least. They could charge him for assaulting Van Pelt, which at least would buy them more time to examine his finances for links to Alizarin or the Odentals. Frankly none of them expected to make much progress in that respect, but there was a slim hope that forensics might be able to place him at the scene.

Bertram was keen to get involved; he had a vested interest in closing this out as he had publically nailed his flag to the investigation and was getting some flak from the press. Karen Cross had started rattling cages about the lack of progress, she had previously championed Wainright following the successful conclusion to the kidnapping. Who knew Wainright would be such a valuable commodity after his untimely demise?

Jane was deep in thought when the phone awoke him from his reverie, he wearily answered. "Hello Karen, how's life in the world of reality TV, people still willing to sell their souls for their 15 minutes of fame?"

"Mock all you like Patrick, you're quite happy to use it for your own ends." Karen could give as good as she got and rarely took offence. "Actually I'm trying to get the low down on the Wainright investigation."

"No can do Karen, it's an active investigation. You know the arrangement, first tip off on closed cases only." Jane sat up straight on the sofa, he needed to nip this in the bud. Nothing good would come of this.

"Ok I get that, but I'm getting all sorts of pressure to drop this. Apparently sponsors are threatening to withdraw their support and my contract negotiations have suddenly stalled when only a few weeks ago they were promising me the earth. Why's this such a hot potato?" Karen's investigative instincts were on full alert, was there some form of cover up going on?

"Karen maybe that should tell you something - take it from me you need tread very carefully." Despite his distaste for her reporting, Jane had a grudging respect for Karen.

"I think you've confirmed my suspicions by your non answer. Since when have you known me back down from a challenge Patrick?" She was more determined than ever to pursue this; she was brave as a tigress and wasn't going to be cowed by anyone. Karen was confident enough in her own ability to know that as one door closed another would open, if the station were foolish enough to pull the plug on her that was their loss.

"Seriously Karen, be very, very careful." There was little Jane could do to deter her once she had got the bit between her teeth, that was about the only feature she shared with Lisbon.

* * *

They were enjoying a brief hiatus as the Fishman investigation was predominantly a paperwork exercise at this juncture, which left Jane at liberty to follow his preferred line of investigation. Naturally he wasn't the only one following that line of enquiry, and Lisbon had the advantage of being more internet savvy and having a network of old buddies that she could call off the record. Of course she was circumspect in her enquiries but sometimes a bit of influence had its advantages. In fact only that morning she had found out something very interesting that warranted further investigation. Taking advantage of the temporary respite to escape both the office and the interminable paperwork, she checked where Jane was before calling Cho to arrange to meet him in the car park. If anyone asked after her Rigsby was told to say she was following a lead and wouldn't be back until late afternoon.

Cho eyed her warily "What's up Boss?"

"Kimball I just need to check something out off the books. You willing to come with me?" Lisbon had always tried to be honest with Cho, although she did not necessarily tell him everything.

Cho had a pretty good idea what this was about so without further ado he just nodded and jumped in the SUV. Patience was one of Cho's many virtues he would wait for Lisbon to volunteer the information, the fact that she had asked for help was enough for now. When Cho had first joined her team he was impressed by her loyalty and vigour, Lisbon never asked anyone to do anything that she wouldn't do herself, and her attention to detail and persistence in chasing every lead down were exemplary. If he had worked for anyone other than Lisbon, he would more than likely have tried for promotion by now.

They travelled deep into wine country carefully avoiding discussion of the reason for their journey. Lisbon asked about Cho's Mum, who she had met once when Cho was receiving a commendation. It had been amusing to see the stoic agent being ruled by his diminutive mother. Jane reckoned it had been good preparation for working with Lisbon, which had raised a chuckle from Cho despite Lisbon's glare.

Talking of Jane, his number flashed up on her screen "Hey Jane what's up?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. It's all very mysterious you sneaking off for a secret assignation with the handsome Agent Cho. You do realise he's spoken for don't you?" Jane knew full well Cho was listening in.

Lisbon grinned at Cho. "Is that so? The two timing rat, I'll have him for that."

"Yes Rigsby is most upset, first Van Pelt and now you." Jane continued in the same vein.

"Oh I assumed you meant his mysterious lady friend, not that I can't handle a bit of competition." She glanced at Cho who squirmed slightly at that reference.

"You're very playful today Lisbon. Has the fresh air gone to your head? Is there anything I should know about?" Jane teased, despite some serious probing Rigsby hadn't been able to tell him what they were up .

"No, everything's in hand here, we'll be back in the office later on. Let me know if there are any developments on Fishman." Lisbon was enjoying having the upper hand for once.

"Very well if you persist in playing games, I'll just have to find out what you're up to myself." Despite the nagging curiosity that Lisbon was doing something without him, Jane was intent in following his own line of enquiry, and having established that he had a few hours to himself he intended to put them to good use.

Cho eyed Lisbon quizzically. "You're not telling Jane about this? I would have thought he would have been the first person you'd tell."

Lisbon looked sharply at him. "What are you saying Kimball?"

"Alizarin, it doesn't exactly take a leap of imagination to guess the connection. Why me not Jane?" Cho wondered what Lisbon was up to.

"Look, this is just a hunch. In the unlikely event that I'm right, I want time to decide how to handle it without Jane going off at the deep end. It goes without saying that I don't want anyone to know about this."

* * *

Finally Lisbon pulled into a side street and parked the car in a shady cut out. "That should do, not too conspicuous here. Look we may have to bend a few rules here, we're just gathering information. We won't take anything, but we had better wear gloves as a precaution."

Cho followed Lisbon for about 100 yards until they came to a fairly nondescript house set back from the main road and backing onto vineyards at the back. Cho surveyed the scene appreciatively, the Napa Valley was undoubtedly a great place to live. Lisbon had made her way to the back of the building, there was no obvious way in so she looked at the door then tilted her head to Cho to indicate her intentions. Cho sighed before forcing the door open; he hoped there were no cameras, this would take some explaining. The accumulation of unopened mail suggested the occupant had been missing for a while, Cho picked up one of the letters to read the owner's name.

"McAllister, I heard he was in hospital. Hit and run wasn't it?" He scrutinised Lisbon's face for her reaction.

"Yes he's in a bad way apparently, I heard he was undergoing rehab but I only found out the full extent of his situation today. Apparently his heart arrested during surgery to correct a back injury, he nearly died on the table. He's in a bad way and in excruciating pain with his back. He's drugged to the hilt and not expected to last much longer." Although McAllister had taken quite a shine to Lisbon, she had always found him distinctly creepy, but he ran an efficient ship and was well thought of so she made an effort to disguise her feelings whenever their paths crossed.

The front room was covered with his commendations and was furnished in the homely fashion she would have expected of the Sheriff. The inner sanctum they found off the main accommodation however told a different story, this was clearly his own private retreat and showed a different side to the man. Tastefully decorated and furnished it boasted a high end music system with on old fashioned record deck, and an impressive collection of music and art work. The Sheriff was certainly not the hick he appeared to be at first sight, although this reinforced her suspicions none of this proved a thing.

The sound of the front door lock being tampered with stopped them in their tracks; they got in position waiting to take down the intruder. At the earliest opportunity Cho pounced on him and pinned him to the ground with an arm lock. The unmistakable unruly curls of a certain consultant poked out from beneath the pulled down cap, if further confirmation was needed the scruffy shoes were definitely Jane's. The rest of the outfit was more of a surprise, for once the beloved suit and vest had been discarded in favour of jeans and a polo top.

Jane had been taken by surprise, but the faint waft of spicy perfume identified his assailants before anyone broke the silence.

"Really Lisbon, is this necessary?" Jane whined. Cho finally released his arm from the arm lock.

Lisbon lightly kicked his shoes "Just get up Jane." She watched with increasing irritation as he theatrically brushed himself down. They both glared at each other, neither one being pleased at being discovered.

"Nice outfit." Lisbon unconsciously gave him the once over.

"Jeez Cho, do you have to be so rough?" Jane grumbled.

"Shouldn't break in then." Cho tersley responded.

Jane motioned to the damaged rear door. "A tad hypocritical, if I may say so." Cho just shrugged enigmatically.

Jane turned his attentions to Lisbon and somewhat brusquely demanded. "So when did you find about McAllister?"

Lisbon's hackles started to rise."Not that I'm answerable to you, but I only found out the full extent of his condition this morning."

"And you didn't think to tell me?" Jane demanded in an exasperated tone.

Lisbon folded her arms and stared defiantly. "Jane just listen to yourself. Of course I was going to tell you, but I wanted to be sure before I got your hopes up and you went off on some crazy scheme without telling me. It seems my misgivings were entirely justified."

Jane shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't quite sure which annoyed him most, the fact that Lisbon had outwitted him or the fact that she hadn't told him about McAllister. "Suppose we'd better make the most of it as we're all here. What have you found so far?"

"Nothing conclusive, but there's clearly another side to the Sheriff, I'll leave you to look round and draw your own conclusions while Cho and I look round upstairs." Lisbon double checked her car keys were safe, she wouldn't put it past Jane to try and pull some stunt to try and get a head start on them. She smirked, there was no way Jane was going to lift her keys from there without getting extremely upfront and personal.

Jane wandered round McAllister's inner sanctum perusing the shelves and approvingly noting the Sherriff's collection of vinyl records, Jane was very much an analogue man in a digital world. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the copy of the Well Tempered Clavier that had been left on the turntable.

A bottle of the finest Armagnac and the Waterford brandy glasses were a further indication of the man's good taste, it was surprising he would eschew the local product for such an obscure import. The book shelves revealed an eclectic mix, the Sheriff had an interest in Freemasonry, the Founding Fathers - the William Blake poetry could have been a coincidence but added to the body of evidence.

Jane fingered the books as he read the titles, his consternation was evident as he took everything in. "It's him Lisbon, I know it is."

"I think so Jane." She added softly,"I would have told you before doing anything, you know that don't you?"

"I know," came back the quiet response.

"Apart from our suspicions, we've not even got grounds for a search warrant let alone anything else. If you want, we can do a systematic search while we're here to see if we can find anything incriminating." Lisbon maintained a quiet stance trying to give Jane the steadying influence he so desperately needed.

"What's the point? He would be too careful to keep anything here, anyhow I would imagine someone would have sanitised the place as soon as he was hospitalised. This room tells me everything I need to know. How bad is McAllister's condition?" There was a disconsolate acceptance of the situation in Jane's words.

"Pretty bad, it's just a matter of time." Lisbon figured time was of the essence now and wasn't going to hide anything from Jane. "Patrick, I know this isn't how you envisaged it ending but at least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing he's finally gone."

"Hardly satisfaction - he deserves much worse than this. My family deserve better than this." Jane swallowed hard, he had very mixed feelings and was struggling to contain his emotions.

There was no answer to that. "Come on let's make our way to the hospital to find out what's going on, and see if you can get some closure. It's the least you deserve." Cho would drop Lisbon off at the hospital and take her car back to Sacramento, Jane would make his own way as he needed some time to compose himself.


	13. Chapter 13 : The King and the Pawn

**A/N** I suspect this will be a marmite chapter – not to everyone's taste.

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – The King and the Pawn**

Although it was only a short drive to the hospital, it had seemed like an eternity to Jane as he played over the scenarios he had envisaged for this final confrontation. They were all to no avail; fate or perhaps the powers that be had intervened and taken that away from him. No amount of biofeedback could completely quell the wave of agitation that was threatening to engulf him, however with some considerable effort he had managed to achieve a semblance of equanimity as he pulled into the car park where Lisbon awaited him.

The tell tale signs of his nerves were still evident to Lisbon, the restless tapping of his fingers and the wiping down of his hands on his legs. Anxiety was written all over his face, for all his talk of vengeance she knew he would have to draw upon all his reserves to see this through.

Jane felt her concerned gaze, although she respectfully kept her distance in deference to the inner turmoil he must be experiencing. Just knowing she was there was comfort in itself. It was strange that at this time when his thoughts should have been about his lost family, it felt right that Lisbon was by his side. Maybe he was almost ready to move on?

Practical as ever Lisbon made the introductions at reception and they were pointed in the right direction. Jane grabbed her hand as they walked along, needing to bolster his courage through her calm solicitude. Of all the endings he had imagined, this was not one of them. There was no outlet for his righteous anger, no opportunity to wreak his vengeance. Corporeal suffering was not enough for Red John, Jane wanted to imprint his image on his psyche and for it to be the last thing McAllister saw as he shuffled off his mortal coil. Jane was beginning to marshal his thoughts now, he doubted Lisbon would approve, thinking his actions were unnecessarily cruel at this stage, but it was the only way Jane could put his demons to rest and balance the equation.

The nurse outside McAllister's room, gave them the low down on his worsening condition, apparently he had a visitor and they were sent to a waiting area. Jane finally managed to get his thoughts into a coherent stream. "Teresa, you know I have to do the next part alone. You cannot be complicit in what happens next."

"I know Patrick, deniability." Surprisingly she did not try and argue with him, she smiled weakly. "Although nothing you can do now will affect the final outcome, you deserve to be his final witness. No one would deny you that."

Lisbon guessed she would not like what was about to happen, but she had no compassion for the monster who had destroyed so many lives. The man beside her and been to hell and back, his obsession had taken him to the brink of insanity. He had lost his sense of perspective at times making snap judgements and showing little pity for those that transgressed. Nevertheless the essence of the man was unsullied with the irrepressible humour and innate kindness towards those he cared about, a sense of fairness and indefatigable hope when there was precious little reason for hope, the ability to rebound from the frequent setbacks, although they had undoubtedly started to take their toll. The lines on his face were etched deep, a combination of the passage of time and the burden he had carried for so long.

She leant into him and placed a chaste comforting kiss on his cheek, in return he tightened his grip on the hand he would shortly have to relinquish hold of.

The sound of the door opening brought them crashing back to reality; they were astounded to see Bertram exit and make his way toward them. "Ah Patrick, I guess I should not be surprised that you are here." Bertram's tacit admission floored them.

"You knew." Jane said accusingly.

"Only recently, I must say it was quite a surprise to me, McAllister had us all fooled. We just thought he enjoyed his work a bit too much, eventually his hubris was his downfall, a few loose words got back to us and the jigsaw fell into place. As his influence waned he tried to forge his own path outside the scheme of things and it could no longer be tolerated."

Bertram gave Jane an almost compassionate look. "I guess this is your time Patrick, I won't detain you."

"Go on Patrick, you heard him, please be careful." Lisbon motioned towards the door and watched as he slowly went towards the room to face the man who had been his nemesis.

The unnerving calm of Bertram's words had chilled Lisbon to the bone, Bertram observed her paternalistically while the implication of his words sank in. "Who are we?" Lisbon asked, not even knowing if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Good question Lisbon - who are we? We are the future, the New Order." Bertram simply stated.

Lisbon had a sinking feeling that this was just the start of something altogether more sinister and far reaching than they had imagined. "The New Order." She repeated uncertainly.

"This neither the time nor place for this discussion, which I will of course deny took place. All systems need law and order, we still need people like you." Bertram glanced at the closed door, then surprisingly gave Lisbon some words of comfort. "Don't worry, Jane won't do anything that can't be dealt with. As far as the rest of the world is concerned Red John is already dead, Jane knows the value of the prize within his reach; he won't risk that by doing anything stupid."

* * *

Initially even remembering to breathe was an effort as the chill of cold revenge numbed Jane's heart, this was not a time for searing rage that time had passed. Jane stood by the side of the bed surveying the wreck of the man before him, weak and emaciated, just flesh and blood. Death was the great leveller - the King and the Pawn did indeed end in the same box.

How many times had Red John stood over his victims, over Jane's wife and daughter, relishing the carnage he had wreaked? No pity had been spared for the victims and none would be spared now. Jane's revenge would only be fleeting but he would not allow Red John to pass into the night untroubled.

Jane reached into his pocket for the knife he had brought with him, there would be no blood here but there would be no comfort either. One thing Jane had learned from Bosco's death was that the dispensing equipment would set off the alarm if he tampered with it, so Jane carefully cut a notch in the tube feeding the cannula, allowing the opiates to seep away undetected.

Then he waited...

It would take some time for the effects of the opiates to start wearing off but Jane was a patient man, a few more minutes after years of waiting were nothing. Eventually discomfort started to register and the Sheriff's eyes flickered with the onset of pain. His eyes flitted around distractedly; he was barely cognisant of his surroundings. Finally they settled on a shape at the side of the bed, the tired eyes struggled to focus but the onset of increasing pain raised his level of consciousness. As time progressed the shape became clearer and the eyes grew wider when recognition set in. Robbed of the power of speech, the Sherriff was trapped in his body at the mercy of his tormenter.

"We finally meet then Red John." There was an eerie calmness to Jane's manner.

The faintest sign of a twisted smirk passed over McAllister's face.

"Aah pleased to see me, such a shame we didn't have the chance to get to know each other earlier Tom. After all we have so much in common to talk about." Jane's tone was almost light and conversational but would be delivered with deadly accuracy.

"Of course it's too late now to atone for what you did to my family but let's at least consider your legacy. A man like you would revel in the notoriety of being the infamous serial killer who held California in the grip of fear, too slippery to get caught always staying one step ahead of the game. You probably see yourself as a master manipulator a leader of men but who did you attract? A motley collection of misfits and damaged people unable to find their place in mainstream society, looking for something unsavoury to hang their hats on, people who would be easily manipulated by someone as devious as you. Yet for all your delusions of grandeur, no one will remember you as other than a pathetic, corrupt Sherriff who perverted justice to his own advantage with his ragtag gaggle of pathetic cronies. Just a squalid egomaniac who no one will remember."

Jane leant in closer to McAllister's face. "Is that really what you wanted Tom? Who knows what tawdry secrets will be unearthed when we go through your house, it's the worst of both worlds really - neither recognised for your evil genius nor respected for your achievements. I guess that must hurt a proud man like you so full of himself, to be reduced to nothing a mere speck in the annals of history. As you know I killed Red John some time ago, it's official the monster you created is already dead and now you are going to die in ignominy, a pathetic, sleazy nonentity."

Jane whispered in his ear "You are nobody Tom. Believe me in different circumstances you would have gone out with a bang, but we are where we are."

The Sherriff was starting to struggle to breathe and his face contorted with the onset of pain, Jane guessed the verbal onslaught had precipitated another crisis. He leant in for one final word. "Remember who you are Tom, you came into the world as someone's son and you're leaving as a nobody, reviled, unloved, forgotten. A nobody."

Jane stepped aside as McAllister struggled for his breath, his eyes full of fear before he slipped into unconsciousness. Jane just watched with cool detachment. "It's done now Angela. I wish I could have done more but he's gone now, he won't harm anyone else now," he softly murmured.

The nurse came in as the Sherriff flat lined, it had all been expected so no attempt was made to resuscitate. It was over.

* * *

Lisbon had decided against waiting outside the room, that felt just downright awkward, but she had found a waiting area in sight of the nurse's station where she could have a coffee and flick through some discarded magazines and papers. Not that her heart was in it, her thoughts turned to Jane. It was impossible to imagine what he was going through and how they would deal with the aftermath now it was finally over. She wondered if he would want a clean break from the constant reminders of his desperate quest. It would break her heart of course, but she would understand if that was what he chose to do.

As time passed she tried to take her attention off matters by reading some articles about the forthcoming election. Lisbon wasn't a political animal, but an article had caught her eye about a new candidate who was starting to make a name for herself. Lisbon quickly put it to one side when she saw the nurses rush into McAllister's room. She watched with some trepidation as Jane emerged and made his way towards her. His face was an impenetrable mask; Lisbon suspected that was as much for his own benefit as for the outside world. She rose to meet him, waiting in silence for him to speak first.

"It's over Lisbon, he's gone. Come on let's get out of here." He said quietly before taking hold of her hand and leading her to the car park. Once they were outside Jane leant back against the car and inhaled deeply to purge his senses of the bile and vitriol, Lisbon instinctively knew to give him some space for a while. "It's ok Lisbon, it will take me a while to take this all in. Thank you for being here, for being my rock."

Lisbon nodded reassuringly. "Take as long as you like. I would imagine you want some time to yourself."

Neither chose to say much during the drive back to Sacramento, Lisbon did not want to pry and wasn't sure she wanted to know what had happened behind closed doors anyhow, and it seemed crass to make casual conversation. As they reached her drop off point she finally ventured. "So Patrick, what are you going to do now?"

Jane contemplated a flippant response but it didn't seem right. "I need some time to sort things out, personal things."

"Are you going to be away long?" Lisbon tried to hit the right tone without appearing too needy or pushy.

Jane's features softened slightly at her poorly disguised anxiety. "It's hard to say, but I would guess no more than a couple of weeks."

"So you're coming back?" Lisbon asked shakily.

He turned to face her and took her hands."Where else would I go? Everything I hold dear is here." It was hard not to smile at Lisbon's flustered reaction, Jane did not want to spell it out at this moment in time but he knew Lisbon needed some assurance. "But I do have things to attend to, I need to go to Malibu and sort out some practical matters, but I promise I'll call you every day or you can call me. I'm not leaving Lisbon."

* * *

Lisbon made her way up to the bullpen, obviously she needed to talk to Cho but she hadn't made any plans about how to deal with Van Pelt and Rigsby. Cho looked up as she came in but waited until the bullpen was clear before entering her office.

"No Jane?" Cho started.

"No. It's over Cho. Red John's dead, Jane's having a short break. It's all being kept quiet for now, we'll have to tell the others something but I need to work out how best to play it. The powers that be will want to sweep this under the carpet, so it must never get out in the public domain. Are you ok with that for a few days?"

Lisbon couldn't read anything from his face, he just curtly nodded. "Leave it with me, as far as the others are concerned Jane's gone off for a few days because there's nothing more he can do on the Fishman case. No one will think any different. I know it's up to you Boss, but they deserve to know the truth at some stage."

"They will Kimball."

* * *

Jane was true to his word, he called Lisbon every evening telling her how he had filled his day. This new openness felt quite strange after years of having to second guess Jane's actions. The subject of how to deal with the team was broached and they both agreed to tell Van Pelt and Rigsby in confidence straight away, rather than risk them learning second hand in the unlikely event the news should leak out.

Naturally a visit to the Cemetery had been high on his list of priorities, although he had no belief in spirits he had habitually spoken to Charlotte and Angela over the years, but there was a touch of finality to this. Jane guessed this might be their final conversation now they could be put to rest at last.

As things were being wrapped up he needed to meet up with Mark in Malibu, some developers had approached Mark recently about acquiring the family home. They made no bones about the fact that they would demolish the current building and re-develop the site with a number of smaller properties. Far from upsetting Jane, he was all in favour of this idea. He had never been able to stomach the thought of anyone living in that house and it was a clean cut solution. There was nothing he wanted from the house, he had no more need to punish himself it was time to let it go.

Mark could see the change in his long time friend. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you starting to live again. If I'm not mistaken I would guess you've opened yourself to the possibility of a future." Jane shifted uncomfortably under Mark's penetrating gaze. "You should have told me Patrick, I would never have gone near Teresa if I had known."

"There was nothing to tell." Jane disingenuously replied.

"You may choose to delude yourself my friend, but please don't try that line on me." Experience as a lawyer had taught Mark to recognise when someone was being economic with the truth

"Look, we may have had feelings but nothing was said - it still hasn't been in so many words." Jane's words trailed off, he still wasn't ready for this discussion.

* * *

Lisbon had dealt with breaking the news to Van Pelt and Rigsby, they knew it was imperative to keep a lid on things but it was some comfort to Grace to know that the man who had robbed her of the last vestige of her innocence was dead.

After a period of inertia things were suddenly moving forwards on a number of fronts. Forensics had managed to link Fishman to the bombing and the DA was confident they could make their case on the evidence in hand. The Odenthal case was going to trial next week, he would be spending the rest of his days behind bars, not that Lisbon would be surprised to read that someone had got to him at some stage of his incarceration - protective custody only worked to a point.

It should have all settled down into a comfortable routine but Lisbon being Lisbon had started following her nose finding out more about Bertram and his allies. No one, not even Jane, knew what Bertram had said and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, but while Lisbon had some time to herself she would start to do some covert research and see if she could make the pieces of the puzzle fit.


	14. Chapter 14 : A Shot In The Dark

**Chapter 14 – A shot in the dark**

Having concluded his business, Jane bade a final farewell to the place that held both precious and the very worst of memories. Jane took the opportunity to wind down for a few days by the coast near Monterey before returning to work. Jane briefly toyed with the idea of asking Lisbon to join him for the weekend, but sensibly decided he did not want to rush things. Although they knew each other as well as two people could, it would be difficult to manage the transition from the best of friends to something deeper; it needed to happen slowly and organically without just jumping in the sack at the first opportunity.

Past the first flush of youth Jane wanted to build something permanent; he had always been a one man woman and the object of his desire was a prickly, independent woman who would have to be handled with caution. The past few weeks had seen a return to an easy banter in their phone exchanges, there was a little gentle flirting but it was uncomplicated by any romantic entanglements. Perhaps that is what they should settle for rather than risk their friendship? There was much soul searching as he walked along the shore, watching the decaying embers of the Sun disappear below the horizon. It was time to call Lisbon, so he made his way back to his hotel room and picked up his phone."Hey Lisbon, you doing anything special tonight?"

Jane noted the slightest hesitation before she answered, interesting. "Just some reading, nothing special."

"You're not still burning the midnight oil reading case files again are you?"Jane gently probed.

"So what if I am, it's my job." She answered defensively, justifying her late night toil. In truth she just needed to keep busy, the days had seemed so long in Jane's absence despite the regular calls.

"I'll be back on Monday. Is there anything I need to know about?" Jane had spoken to Cho a couple of times, so he had a fair idea what was going on.

"We've pretty much cleared the decks for now, unless the weekend throws anything new up. I've almost managed to clear my desk, though God knows it won't take long to fill up again when you come back." Lisbon affected mock outrage as she gently teased him.

Jane responded in like spirit."You wound me Lisbon. Anyone would think you didn't want me back. I mean it's a tough choice for me. Watch the sunset go down over Monterey or deal with the constant stream of human detritus in Sacramento. Come to think of it maybe I should consider a career change. Open a little tea shop by the coast, learn to play the accordion, try bee keeping perhaps. I mean do I really need the stress, the constant haranguing? My Boss is very demanding you know."

"From what I hear your Boss, not that you treat her as one, is a very understanding woman. God knows you drive her to distraction at times." Lisbon said with some feeling.

"..and violence," Jane subconsciously rubbed his nose as he spoke.

"Well sometimes she has to be cruel to be kind." The words were spoken in her best school ma'am voice.

"She has a mean right hook. D 'you know I had a fine chiselled nose when I first signed up, now it's all squidgy." Jane rolled over onto his back, relishing their teasing exchange.

"Well we can soon re-arrange that if you want - no appointment necessary." She delivered the implied threat with aplomb.

"You're a cruel woman Lisbon. I've just called you to enquire after your well being and what do I get in return, threats and insults. I really don't know why I put up with it." He responded somewhat theatrically.

"The sofa probably, where else can you work lying down? No don't answer that!" Lisbon mischievously countered.

"Well I guess I'll have to come back then." He sighed heavily. "Beekeeping will just have to wait for a few years - shame I really liked the outfit."

"What is it with men and uniforms ..." at which point Lisbon's courage failed her, although she was infinitely braver on the phone that seemed to be venturing into dangerous territory.

"Yes Lisbon...I'm waiting," the conversation had suddenly petered out.

"I've missed you Jane," she said out of the blue.

"I've missed you too," he replied without hesitation. "I'll be back on Monday, in the mean time try and get some rest Teresa." Jane lay on his bed with a contented smile on his face, still holding the phone long after the call ended.

In contrast Lisbon returned to her papers, resuming the research she had indulged in to fill the time. Gale Bertram was an elusive figure when you started looking into him. It was hard to find much out about his early service history; although commendations were on display in his office, it was hard to imagine Bertram in a hands on role. Born into a wealthy family, doors opened easily for Bertram. His only venture into matrimony ended by mutual consent, but with his urbane manner Bertram never seemed to want for a companion. In his capacity as a facilitator the opportunity arose to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers, he was anyone and everyone's friend.

* * *

Monday came round soon enough. Although she would shoot anyone who dared mention it, Lisbon looked especially good with her loose curls falling softly over her smart jacket and chiffon blouse. Even Cho looked up approvingly as she walked by, as if he couldn't guess why she had made more effort over her appearance today.

A familiar form was sprawled over the sofa. Lisbon played it cool, indulging in a sip of the freshly brewed coffee from her mug before getting started. "Morning everyone, Cho what do we have called in so far?"

"Homicide in Discovery Bay, the local PD has just passed this one over to us. The victim Wilbur Jeffries was found dead on his deck early this morning by his cleaner." Cho relayed the essentials with typical economy.

"So why've we got it? Sounds like something the local PD could handle." Lisbon observed just before her phoned rang. She rolled her eyes and silently mouthed "Bertram" then went into her professional mode. "Yes sir, we've just received the case... friend of Senator Holmes... Of course we'll give it our top priority."

Jane sat up at the mention of the Senator; it looked like Holmes was calling in a favour. "Senator Holmes, you can't do too much for a good man - when do we set out?"

Lisbon just narrowed her eyes as she looked at him - why did there have to be a bigwig involved on his first day back? Jane hadn't exactly hit it off with the Senator last time. "Cho, Van Pelt - you go ahead and start talking to the locals, we'll follow shortly."

"Come on Lisbon drink up, we have a case to solve." Despite her reservations, her heart skipped a beat when he flashed his megawatt smile at her.

They could have travelled in one car, but Lisbon welcomed the opportunity of spending some time alone with Jane. "Have the team said anything to you since you got back?"

"Cho called me a few times, so we've already covered what needed to be said. Grace just gave me a hug and Rigsby patted me on the back, so my hug quotient is filled for the day," he said sarcastically.

"Well that's just as well because I wasn't planning on hugging you anyhow." Lisbon was as uncomfortable with gratuitous hugging as Jane was.

"No, I don't suppose you were, but it's nice to see you again." He said wistfully.

She quickly glanced to the side with a nervous smile on her face, "you too."

Feeling the need to change the subject, Jane started to ask about the case. "So what do we know about the victim so far?"

"Wilbur Jeffries 58 years old, semi retired businessman in the process of selling his stake in the communications business he had founded. He's had a few health scares and had opted for a quieter pace of life. He moved out to Discovery Bay about two years ago, member of the local Country Club, presumably where he met our friend the Senator."

"Did you say Country Club?" A wicked smile crossed his face.

"No messing Jane." It was Lisbon's worst nightmare, setting Jane loose with the well heeled and privileged, a licence to offend.

* * *

Discovery Bay was in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region, renowned for boating, fishing and water sports. Many of the waterfront properties boasted their own private moorings and direct access to the waterways. The local PD were polite but hardly welcoming, they understand how to treat people round here and did not want outsiders ruffling up the feathers of some extremely influential birds. Jane's reputation had clearly preceded him.

Cho and Van Pelt were checking out some of the boats while the medical examiner finished up, they wouldn't mind taking some of those beauties out on the water. Van Pelt nudged Cho as she saw Lisbon pull up and they quickly put their professional masks back in place, they had a healthy respect for their fiery leader.

Lisbon made her way briskly towards them while Jane dawdled behind taking in the general ambience, picturesque as it was Jane wouldn't choose to live there. The houses were built on a series of man made dykes and were equally accessible by road and water. The property they were attending was relatively modest in comparison to some, but had an enviable location near the end of one of the dykes, with open views over the water.

Jane strolled up in time to catch the tail end of Cho's summary of what was known so far. A gunshot had been heard around 11pm last night; reports varied but most reckoned it originated from the general direction of the opposite shore. Most people were indoors by then but a few revellers were still around on their boats. The local PD had started interviewing people on the opposite shore to try and pin down the exact time and source of the shot.

Jane observed the scene with clinical detachment. The victim was slumped in his easy chair on the deck with a Whiskey tumbler and an open book on his side table, the single shot was embedded in his chest. It did not look as if the victim had been expecting an attack. Jane knelt down so his head was next to the victim's and surveyed the outward scene, apart from one of the upstairs windows opposite it was hard to see who would have had a direct line of fire.

The ME was clearly disconcerted. "Looks like a 9mm bullet but it hasn't penetrated far, you wouldn't expect it to be fatal unless it's nicked one of the arteries. I'll have to do a full post mortem to establish the exact cause of death."

* * *

Lisbon was arranging for the victim's family and associates to be interviewed at the Country Club. "Anything you want to add Jane?"

Jane was uncharacteristically quiet as he looked out over the water. "Uum no, just thinking." Although Jane had the germ of an idea in his head, he still followed them over to the Club not wishing to forgo a potentially interesting diversion.

Confronted with a choice of the Family Room or the Gentlemen Only Room behind the impressive oak doors, Lisbon cast a quick look over to Van Pelt, and then promptly led her team into the restricted area.

The receptionist ran after them shouting, "Sorry Ma'am you really can't go in there."

"Try and stop me," Lisbon muttered under her breath.

Jane smirked; this was going to be way more entertaining than he had thought.

As they entered the elegant but distinctly masculine enclave, they were stopped by a smartly dressed man who was clearly a club official. He stood squarely in their way, "I am afraid this is a member's only area, I really must ask you to leave."

"Good, it's your members I want to talk to." Lisbon eyeballed him defiantly.

"It's also a men only area Ma'am, I must ask you to leave straight away." The official stood his ground.

Lisbon flashed her badge. "I'm Special Agent Teresa Lisbon, and I'm attending in my capacity as an agent of the law and the law has no gender. We're investigating a suspicious death and if you continue to obstruct me, you are welcome to continue this conversation back at the CBI in one of our own restricted areas."

Some derisory comments were exchanged between some of the members. Although Cho and Jane picked up on them, they knew better than to intervene; they would only incur Lisbon's wrath if they tried to fight her battles for her.

"No need for that Ma'am, we have do traditions to uphold." The official tried to placate her, whilst maintaining what was left of his dignity.

"So did the dinosaurs and look what happened to them." Van Pelt muttered under her breath.

He called over one of the staff. "Thomas would you please escort the ladies and their colleagues to the Waverley Suite. They should have everything they need in there."

"We're investigating agents, not ladies," Lisbon said loftily as they made their way to the suite.

Jane exchanged a grin with Cho as he followed them out. "After you ladies" he murmured, simultaneously invoking the wrath of the red head and brunette. After a few fruitless hours of interviews, and with Jane uncharacteristically on his best behaviour, they made their way back to the scene of the crime.

* * *

Jane paced around taking in the scene more fully now the ME had removed the body. The buildings on the opposite shore were at an oblique angle, so there was no real line of sight from their balconies or decks. "Grace can you access the CCTV footage and see if we can ascertain the exact time of the shot and who was about at that time. Am I right in thinking these thingamabobs would pick up on a warm object?"

"Depends what you are looking for."Van Pelt cautiously replied.

"Well I'm guessing a bullet in flight would still be warm at this time of year, I just wondered if the CCTV would pick it up. If a 9mm bullet were shot from over there, what speed would it be travelling when it reached here?"

Grace googled it on her phone "Well a 9mm bullet would have a muzzle velocity of 1120ft per second but would slow down to about 350ft/s at maximum range. So it would take a couple of seconds max to travel that distance. At that speed the sound of the shot would be heard almost simultaneously with the bullet hitting its target."

Jane was impressed by her grasp of technical matters, "So how many frames per second do these things take – would they pick it up?"

"It varies according to the quality of the system, they're not necessarily designed for fast capture, to cut down on the hardware requirements some systems work on low capture rates but high quality images. You would be lucky to see anything on a standard domestic system, but if someone has got a top notch high definition system you may strike lucky, but you would still have go through the footage frame by frame as it would be over in seconds.

Jane went to the edge of the deck and looked at the boats nearby then looked back towards the buildings, before starting to walk to the house next door. "You mean like that one?"

"Why that one?" Van Pelt asked curiously.

"The biggest boat ergo the best security system, shall we?"Jane indicated for her to approach the entrance door.

The neighbours agreed to let Van Pelt take a copy of their recordings, she painstakingly watched the recording to locate the precise instant the shot was fired and after a laborious trawl they finally picked up on the trajectory of the bullet which seemed to be coming from open water.

There was a boat in the background, but at that distance all they could really make out were the navigation lights. Further investigation identified the owners of the boat and Cho took them back for questioning. It seemed there had been an alcohol fuelled tussle on board, and the gun had been accidentally discharged, they had no idea that they had injured anyone.

The post mortem indicated that the shock of being shot had probably precipitated a heart attack, which was the cause of death rather than the bullet wound. All in all it was just a bizarre and very unfortunate accident. For once it was some fairly traditional police work coupled with a bit of inspiration that had solved the crime. In fact the only person to ruffle any feathers had been Lisbon this time.

* * *

"So what made you think of that?" Lisbon enquired on the journey back, his capacity for lateral thinking never ceased to surprise her.

"I used to collect the spent bullets when my Dad had been shooting rabbits for the pot; sometimes they were still warm when I picked them up from the ground."

Lisbon sometimes forgot how different his upbringing had been. "So why didn't you say something earlier?"

"What and miss out on the entertainment," Jane teased. "Besides it was only a hunch at that stage."

Jane looked askance at her as she drove them back, trying to judge when would be the right time for them to talk. The last thing he wanted was for them for fall back into their familiar work pattern without moving things forwards. It would feel more awkward to deal with if they were just work colleagues again. It had been so much easier to talk over the phone than it was face to face, especially now the professional barriers were back in place.

"I've never really thanked you properly for everything you did for me. Let me take you out somewhere fancy this weekend. It would be nice to spend some time together outside of work."

He watched to gauge her reaction; she didn't seem unduly phased by the suggestion. "Sure, that would be nice. Proper table cloths and napkins mind."

"Whatever the lady wants, we'll push the boat out for once so wear a dress. I'm sure you've got some hidden under the dust covers somewhere in that wardrobe of yours."

"A dress? OK I'll see what I can do. You might want to try your iron out on one of those shirts in that case" She looked pointedly at his by now crumpled shirt.

"Naturally, I want our first date to be special." He slipped the date word in, and then smiled to himself when he noticed Lisbon swallowed hard at that word and kept her eyes firmly on the road.

* * *

Bertram was hovering round the bullpen when they arrived back; he seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with Lisbon these days. "Ah Teresa another case successfully closed, and without too many noses being put out of joint for once." He added with a smile.

Jane watched Lisbon's body language intently; she looked extremely wary it was not just deference to a superior. "Yes Sir, it was all just an unfortunate accident."

"Well at least it is sorted, can I speak with you? I have some media events planned next week that require your attendance." He motioned towards her office and just nodded as he caught Jane's eye in the process.

When they were behind closed doors Jane's curiosity got the better of him. "What's with Bertram and Lisbon?"

"It's weird, he's been bugging her since – well you know what. She's acting supervisory agent, so naturally he needs more contact with her, but the other supervisors don't get anywhere near the same degree of attention. Haffner's quite put out about it." Cho looked around to see who was in the office.

Jane motioned Cho to join him in the kitchen where they could talk privately. "Did Bertram ever mention McAllister?"

"Just the usual valedictory stuff that he and Shettrick spew out." Cho poured out a strong coffee, while they chatted.

"What about Lisbon, did she mention Bertram?" Jane pressed.

"Nothing, what about Bertram?" Cho looked sharply at Jane.

"He was at the hospital." Jane admitted, knowing he could trust Cho with anything.

Cho's normally implacable face registered surprise, "No shit. He knew?"

Jane nodded. "Probably best not to say anything to anyone else about it, but if you notice anything strange let me know."

"Never trusted that man, even suspected he could be Red John." Cho was uncharacteristically forthcoming.

"It wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities. He's duplicitous enough and ruthless but not gratuitously violent. An interesting man, he does nothing without a reason so I wonder what he's up to." Jane made a note to catch up with Lisbon about this later, this warranted closer attention.

* * *

 **A/N** A bit of a transitional chapter – not a great deal going on.


	15. Chapter 15 : The Diamond Wheezers

**Chapter 15 : The Diamond Wheezers**

Re-instated in his familiar place on Lisbon's sofa at the end of the day, Jane idly watched Lisbon work her way down the remaining paperwork. The little furrow between her brows indicated that her meeting with Bertram had caused some disquiet, but Lisbon showed no sign of sharing that with Jane. He sipped on his tea thoughtfully, wondering why Lisbon was not being more communicative about this.

Finally Lisbon looked up as the paperwork was finished for the day, and she tried the latest tea concoction Jane had put in front of her. Apart from the fact it was lukewarm it was OK, but it was no substitute for a decent cup of coffee.

"Stop staring Jane." Lisbon said irritably, she hated it when he tried to read her so blatantly.

"Sorry, I'm just wondering what you aren't telling me. Clearly something to do with Bertram, your mood changed as soon as we got back to the office." Jane gave her the opportunity to open up the conversation.

"Oh it's just some crap that Bertram wants me to attend next week. You know I hate being paraded out in front of people." Lisbon deflected, anyone but Jane might have bought that line.

"Well you're the poster girl for the CBI, it comes with the territory my dear." He smiled as Lisbon pulled a face then continued. "I never asked you what happened after I went in with McAllister, did Bertram say anything?"

The tensing on Lisbon's face did not go unnoticed. "I assumed you would want to forget that day."

"You're not answering for some reason. I'm sure you picked up on his references to the grand scheme but for some reason you don't want to talk about it. I'll let it drop for now, but Teresa please don't forget these are ruthless people and unless their actions directly impact on you it would be as well to leave them alone." Jane knew if he pushed her too hard she would dig her heels in, the best thing for now was just to keep one step behind her to make sure she did not venture into dangerous territory.

Lisbon avoided eye contact as she got her things together ready to leave, she didn't know why she hadn't told Jane what Bertram had said, there was no logic. She fell back on the excuse that she didn't want to bother him after all he had been through, and besides she was really just indulging idle curiosity at the moment.

* * *

The latest case involved an audacious robbery at the Del Paso Safe Deposit Company. Jane was enthralled by the crime and secretly admired the daring and execution of the crime. With Jane's dubious moral precepts, he empathised with little guy getting one over on the system but conveniently ignored that some of the depositors were not fully insured. Moreover people were reluctant to divulge what was in their deposit boxes, and it was widely suspected that many of the deposits were in fact illegal gains themselves. In many ways it was the perfect crime as a lot of the items missing would never be reported.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at his childish amusement, his undisguised admiration for the perpetrators was getting to her. If it had not have been for the suspected murder of an ex-con who was suspected of having some involvement, Jane might have been reluctant to catch the perpetrators.

Lisbon tried in vain to present a united front at the crime scene, as Jane kept wandering off with a grin plastered over his face unable or disinclined to hide his excitement.

"I knew I should have bought Cho." Lisbon muttered under her breath as Jane called her over to look at the safe deposit room.

"They seem to have been very select in what they opened, it's almost as if they knew what they were looking for. Do we know how the boxes are identified and who has access to that information?"

Thankful to have a sensible comment from Jane at last, they sought out the head of security to find out how the system was organised. The boxes were assigned a unique serial number according to the key number, and the box location and owner's details were kept on separate databases. In theory none of the staff ever had access to both sets of data, the only people who could possibly extract that data were the people in charge of the computer systems and the very top management who had access to a algorithm to merge the databases. Lisbon called Van Pelt, this was right up her street, if anyone could work their way through the system she could.

The CCTV footage showed some poorly disguised men with distinctly grey hair sticking out from under their caps and with slightly stiff uncertain gaits. This all added to the appeal and romance to Jane, it was a genuine old school heist.

"It's just perfect Lisbon, brilliantly executed and planned with military precision." Jane was not unfamiliar with such cons; in the winter layovers when money was tight some carneys inevitably got lured into things like this. Jane had avoided the perils of a life of crime by leaving the carnival at an early age, but there is no doubt he would have been the ultimate cat-burglar, if he had set his mind to it. Lisbon had no illusions that Jane had trodden a very fine line where the law was concerned, no doubt stepping over the wrong side of the line when it suited.

"There's no such thing as the perfect crime and we are going to prove it." Lisbon reiterated, she was going to solve this with or without Jane's help.

"But the victims can't come forward many of these boxes belonged to criminals. We'll never know what was taken." Jane countered, although he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

Lisbon played her last throw of the dice. "Look if you can't look on it as a crime, look on it as an intellectual challenge, prove they're not cleverer than you are - unless of course you think you're not up to it."

"Oh now that's playing dirty Lisbon, you know I can't resist a challenge." He flashed his most engaging smile at her.

God he was infuriating when he was like this. Lisbon stomped away muttering under her breath about the lengths she had to go to engage him with the case.

Somehow the press had got hold of some of the security footage of the aging robbers and the case was taking on epic proportions. When the footage revealed one of the old geezers stopping to take a puff on his inhaler, the press hailed them as _the Diamond Wheezers_. The news and talk shows were full of it, the Late Show staged a mock line up of likely suspects including an old chap dressed in a night shirt armed with a glass of milk who appeared to be lost as he wandered across the stage – there were endless parodies.

Needless to say Lisbon was getting a lot of heat about it, and her mood was getting darker by the day. The team were keeping their heads down while she was in the office, ever since she had come back to find them chortling with amusement at a sketch about the heist on the local news channel. Lisbon got on her high horse "Need I remind you that innocent people may have lost their savings here, and there is a homicide linked to the event. This is not Robin Hood and his freaking merry men, these are hardened criminals and we're taking them down."

Cho and Rigsby just looked sheepishly at each other, they knew better than to mess with Lisbon when she was like that. Even Jane was avoiding being too annoying, although that was partly down to selfish reasons. A grumpy Lisbon would hardly be an easy date and as Jane was out of practice on that front he didn't want to make things any more difficult than they had to be.

Van Pelt had been given access to the databases and had compiled a list cross referencing depositors and box numbers. The safety deposit company had fallen behind in paying the insurance premiums while still charging the depositors for the insurance, and they were jumping through hoops to be co-operative to try and mitigate the crap storm coming their way.

The team systematically went through the list, and where there were valid contact details on file the owners of the boxes were contacted. As there was no particular onus on the company to carry out security checks, depositors were not required to provide too much detail. Some of the identities were clearly bogus, but at least the some of the honest depositors would be able to reclaim their deposits and move them to somewhere more secure. It did not go unnoticed that the proportion of depositors with invalid contact details was markedly higher for the opened boxes. It was clearly not a coincidence and smacked of insider involvement.

Rigsby had found some CCTV footage showing the gang making their way out of the building. One of the perps had a very distinctive gait, he had either incurred an injury or suffered a mild stroke at some stage of his life. The loot was transferred into the getaway cars and they all went different ways, the gang were just not clued up on the extent of the CCTV network these days and had discarded their overalls at the first opportunity, making it was possible to identify their clothes and general build if nothing else.

The team monitored the available CCTV footage to see if they could get any clues from watching the gang's arrival in the vicinity. Much to Jane's delight they spotted the one man arriving by bus, the on board cameras showed he had used his bus pass, it was priceless you couldn't make it up! The bus company routinely scanned concessionary bus passes to collect data and were soon able to provide a list of passes used on that bus journey. Even if they couldn't identify this particular suspect at this stage, it would help narrow down the list of suspects.

* * *

The weekend loomed and Lisbon was getting decidedly edgy, Jane made a point of playing their plans down, he certainly had not mentioned it to anyone. It wasn't that she did not want to go out with him, she just didn't know what Jane expected from their 'date'. Lisbon selected a knee length dark green dress with three quarter length lacy sleeves, it was more alluring than overtly sexy, she was careful not to send out the wrong signals. With her carefully applied makeup and softly styled hair she was fairly satisfied with the end result.

Jane turned up at the appointed time carrying a carefully selected bunch of hand tied flowers, he leant forward to give her a peck on the cheek as he rather awkwardly presented them to her.

Jane was rendered speechless at her transformation. With her loosely curled hair tumbling over her shoulders, and her kohl eyeliner accentuating her gorgeous eyes and pale complexion she looked like a wood nymph, delicate and ethereal and a million miles away from her alter ego.

"Wow, you look beautiful Teresa." He stuttered, his easy charm which was so effortless to turn on when it didn't matter had deserted him.

Flattered by his reaction she shyly replied, "You don't brush up badly yourself."

Lisbon went off to fetch her bag and change her shoes, leaving Jane downstairs. He picked up a copy of Newsweek from her desk, the front cover carried a picture of a striking grey haired woman with glacial blue eyes, and he flicked over a few pages to start reading about Frances Rutherford until he heard Lisbon descending the stairs. Quickly returning the magazine he remarked, "I didn't know you were interested in politics."

"I just like to keep up with things, like to know what's going on - part of the job. Anyhow aren't we supposed to be going out on the tiles tonight?" She demanded.

"Your carriage awaits Milady," he said with a flourish as they stepped into the night air.

The restaurant chosen for their big night out ticked all Lisbon's boxes, personally Jane found the attention and fawning rather obsequious but it was what the lady wanted. Jane's own preference was for something less formal and laid back. Lisbon's eyebrows arched when she looked through the menu, fearful that Lisbon would just chose the cheapest items on the menu rather than what she wanted he suggested, "indulge me, let me guess what you would like - if it's not to your taste we can always swap meals." Put like that Lisbon was happy to agree.

Jane rattled off their orders making sure to order food Lisbon would like. They were as gauche as a couple of teenagers on their first date, so Jane tried to ease the tension by cold reading the other people in the restaurant. Lisbon visibly relaxed as he spun his yarns, there was a fair degree of embellishment mixed in with his very real observations and before long they were both laughing. The waiter was hovering like an irritating fly at a barbeque, and each time he came round Lisbon subconsciously went back into her shell a bit.

The party opposite came under Jane's scrutiny. Some gentlemen who were old enough to know better were entertaining some ladies, who were definitely not their nieces. Jane's risqué comments were wickedly on the mark, and despite her protestations at his cruelty Lisbon could not help but be amused. The party was clearly getting ready to leave and wads of cash had ostentatiously been flashed across the table when the bill was presented. A rather distinguished looking grey haired man, who had already made several visits to the men's room, was making another impromptu visit.

Jane pointedly looked across to the 'nieces' then said to Lisbon "Well he'll be up and down all night at this rate." Lisbon slapped his arm at his insinuation, then noticed Jane's fixed stare as his eyes followed the man out of the room. She had noticed the man had a slight limp herself but waited until he made his way back and observed his laboured gait. Lisbon turned to Jane."It's him isn't it?"

Jane looked up to the heavens, why couldn't they just enjoy a night out like other people? "Yes I think so, look at the jewellery on the girls, they're not paste."

Lisbon pulled her phone out. "Grace can you send me over a close up of the limping man from the heist." Grace accessed her work domain and pulled up the best shot they had of the man and sent it over to Lisbon. Although the face was largely covered, there was a prominent mole on the man's chin which tallied exactly with the man opposite. "Grace can you and Cho come over to La Rochelle by the State building, I think we've got him."

Jane knew Lisbon would not be deterred, she slipped her hand into her shoulder bag and checked for her gun and badge.

"You bought a gun out on our date?" Jane asked incredulously. "What did you think I was going to do?"

Lisbon shrugged apologetically, "I feel naked without it."

"Couldn't you have waited until after the entrée - do you know how difficult it is getting a reservation here?" Jane had called in a few poker debts to secure their table.

"Come on, I can tell you don't like this place," she countered. "We need to run interference until Cho and Van Pelt arrive."

"Very well. Come with me my dear," he gallantly offered his hand to her and they made their way towards the opposite table. Jane suddenly stopped and turned to Lisbon, pointing at the diamond tennis bracelet on the _niece's_ wrist. "Sweetheart is that what you wanted?"

Lisbon looked intently then exclaimed. "Oh my, isn't that a lovely bracelet", she noted the distinctive clasp and the full bezel setting on the undeniably beautiful bracelet.

Jane fell back on his legendary charm as he addressed the young woman. "Why that looks quite beautiful, do you think my fiancé could have a closer look? We've been looking for something like this for ages, you clearly have exceptional taste."

Unaware of its likely provenance, the woman happily displayed it to Lisbon. "Oh darling, it's beautiful, I want one just like this." Lisbon threw herself into the role of the fiancé.

Jane whipped out his phone and took a quick snap of it. "And you shall have one my dear, we'll show this to the jeweller tomorrow and tell him this is just what you want."

The distinguished looking man eyed them cautiously before saying, "I know someone who sells these at a very good price, and perhaps I could arrange something for you?"

At this point the other man at the table started to get agitated, "Come on Jim this is neither the time nor place, we need to get on."

Jane sent the photo over to Van Pelt for future reference, they had all the evidence they needed to take them in. Cho sent a text to say that they were waiting downstairs and Lisbon told them to make their way up. Jane explained the situation to the maître d' and suggested that they try and pull the gentlemen to one side so they could be discretely detained. As the party made a move to leave the ladies were offered some complimentary gifts to split the party. The men made their way out of the restaurant, whereupon they were immediately arrested by Cho and Van Pelt.

The ladies were asked to accompany Jane and Lisbon back to the CBI, where they reluctantly parted company with their jewellery. They showed no great concern about their companions, and after brief statements had been taken they were allowed to go home. The two men were held in custody until the morning.

Van Pelt was seriously impressed that Jane and Lisbon had trapped the thieves, she was convinced they had been working undercover. Cho just shook his head as he looked across at Jane, his mouth quirked slightly at the edges as he concluded this was most definitely _not_ an undercover operation.

Lisbon's stomach rumbled ominously, she glanced in Jane's direction and they just burst out laughing. Cho quickly ushered Van Pelt out of the building, noting Jane's nod of thanks as they left.

The date had been quite awkward in such forced surroundings and yet far from being busted for being out on a date, everyone bar Cho thought this was just another elaborate con. All the tension dissipated, Jane also felt an involuntary rumbling in his stomach. He flashed a smile at Lisbon "I don't know about you, I'm starving. Shall we get some take out and go back to yours?"

Having dropped all the pretence of formality, they fell back into their relaxed ways as they wolfed down some burgers and fries, which they had grabbed along the way, washed down by an unpretentious bottle of Californian red.

An evening which could have been an unmitigated disaster turned into a roaring success, as they settled naturally into each other's company. Jane gently pulled Lisbon over to him on the sofa and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, after an initial tensing Lisbon relaxed with the situation and gently responded.

Jane drew away with an affectionate smile. "There that didn't hurt did it. Now I guess I'd better go before I outstay my welcome. Let's do this again." He dipped in for a farewell kiss then made his way out, opting to walk home and leave his car at Lisbon's as they had finished off the wine, and besides that would give him an excuse to pop by tomorrow to pick it up.

It was progress albeit by a convoluted route and with a bit of fortune Lisbon would also get some kudos for cracking the case to boot.

* * *

 **A/N** _This chapter takes inspiration from the Hatton Garden Heist in London which was committed by a gang of aging crooks - the heist was planned with military precision but their lack of knowledge about modern policing and detection systems made them sitting ducks. Needless to say the story has spawned columns of newspaper coverage, a few books and I believe a film is in the offing. Real life was stranger than fiction._


	16. Chapter 16 : Deep Throat

**Chapter 16 - Deep Throat**

Bertram was a political animal; he knew who was going up and who was going down and which mast to nail his colours on. Occasionally he would place an each way bet, so there was always a viable plan B if things took an unexpected turn. It was election year and all the candidates wanted to keep their profile as high as possible, and Bertram was eager to oblige. Given his astute positioning it seemed out of character for him to entertain the recently declared independent candidate Frances Rutherford, who had no intrinsic value to Bertram as her electoral prospects were uncertain.

The great and the good would be entertaining Rutherford at the State Capitol, and Bertram had particularly wanted Lisbon in attendance as she was one of the highest profile women at the CBI. The fact that Lisbon also appeared to be making progress in the Del Paso Heist was a feather in Bertram's cap, and he intended to have any reflected glory on that front.

In actual fact the case was not as straightforward as it first appeared; the two men in custody were clearly not the brains behind the outfit and were patently more scared of the man in charge than they were of being incarcerated. The third man who had arrived at the heist by public transport, soon joined his accomplices in custody. The list of concessionary bus pass holders had soon been whittled down to a manageable size by sorting the list by demographic, and then by comparing the photographic records held on file with the CCTV footage.

It did not take long to identify the third man, but he was proving as recalcitrant as the other suspects. Despite Cho's best efforts they were no closer to identifying the fourth man, who was thought to be the ringleader. The press had nicknamed him Clyde, for want of a better name, not only was he still on the lam but he also appeared to be in possession of the bulk of the stash.

* * *

Although it was still early days in the investigation, the early breakthrough had raised expectations and pressure was starting to mount on the team again. With the investigation still in full flow Lisbon resented wasting time on Bertram's vanity projects when she could be doing something useful. Jane made out that he was following a lead and made his excuses. In fact he was keeping tabs on Lisbon from a distance, and was doing his best to keep a low profile.

The emollient Bertram was in full flow as he introduced the guest of honour Frances Rutherford, and he outlined the CBI's aims and strategy to those in attendance. Jane chuckled as he saw Lisbon shifting her weight from foot to foot; the higher heels on her dress boots were not made for standing around. With a rictus smile in place and her hands clasped firmly in front of her, it was clear to Jane that she had blanked out the speech and was more than likely reviewing the case as she stood there. Her delayed reaction in joining in the applause when Bertram had finished was further proof, although she covered for it well with her overly enthusiastic if somewhat late response.

Jane became aware someone of someone invading his personal space. He recognised the familiar voice. "Hello Patrick, I didn't think this was your sort of thing."

Without turning his head he acerbically observed, "so the TV network hasn't sacked you after all Karen? You must finally be toeing the party line."

Karen Cross just laughed ironically, "I thought you'd know me better than that by now, I'm just biding my time. I see Bertram's milking your breakthrough on the Del Paso Heist. Have you got anything you can tell me on that front, while I still have a job?"

"Really Karen, how many times do I have to tell you closed cases only?" Jane's eyes remained fixed on the dignitaries, he figured it would do neither of them any good to be seen together.

"So you're not interested in the word on the street about the heist then?" Karen slipped out nonchalantly.

"What word is that?" His interest was piqued, Karen rarely bluffed unless she had some cards worth playing.

"Well as I'll get the first scoop, let's just say the heist isn't all it's made out to be. Rumour is the thefts were a cover for something more important. I mean seriously, how easy has it been to catch these amateurs and yet the main man is nowhere to be seen?"

Jane finally turned to face her. "OK Karen, you've got my interest. So if it's not money presumably it was information at stake but who and why?"

"Well you're the investigator you tell me, but if I were looking into this I'd look very carefully at any connection between the depositors and the murdered man." Karen clearly knew more than she was letting on.

Although he knew she was immune to his charms, Jane flashed her a quick smile. "You have been doing your homework Karen, just be careful whose toes you tread on this could be dangerous. Seriously if you need backup at any stage just call me or Lisbon."

Karen looked over to the dignitaries. "Can we trust Lisbon, she seems pretty close to Bertram? I'm surprised to see her at his right hand."

"Just following orders from up high, believe me Lisbon wants nothing to do with politics. Why are you concerned about Bertram anyhow?" Jane trusted Karen's instincts if not her motives.

"Really Patrick, do I have to do your job for you? You need to get some decent contacts. Let's just say Gale Bertram has some interesting friends." With that Karen made her way to the front of the gathering to get a closer look at proceedings.

Jane had lost sight of Lisbon when the main party dispersed into smaller groups, deciding it was time to make his escape before he was spotted Jane made his way back to the car park. Lisbon was leaning against his car, with her arms folded and an eyebrow arched enquiringly. "Following a new lead then Jane?" She quipped sarcastically.

"Oh, ye of little faith. You know me Lisbon I'm always working, the wheels never stop turning." Jane whirred his fingers at his temple to illustrate his point. "Besides I've got some interesting new leads to follow."

"Care to share Jane or shall I ask Karen myself?" Lisbon coolly assessed his reactions.

An involuntary smile formed on his lips "Oh very good Agent Lisbon, it's a fair cop. You can interrogate me on the way back, but be gentle."

"I won't even ask what you're doing here, but it sounds like it wasn't a complete waste of time." Lisbon wasn't disappointed in what Jane had learned. Cross was a maverick who was able to cross boundaries denied to law enforcement agents - she was a useful contact to have on your side.

* * *

The murder victim had been identified as one Javier Gomez, Van Pelt started some routine searches on him to see what she could find out. Meanwhile Cho and Rigsby were re-examining the names of the depositors who had sustained a loss to see if they could find anything suspicious. After banging their heads against a brick wall for a couple of hours, Rigsby cracked and asked Jane to have a look.  
Jane methodically perused the list, sipping his tea when he paused for thought. Something had caught his eye but he was still trying to make the association, eventually a smile broke out across his face. "Well someone's certainly got a sense of irony." He observed as he tilted his head in Rigsby and Cho's direction.

"What have you found then Jane?" Rigsby couldn't hold back his curiosity. Cho would have shown more restraint, not wishing to further inflate the consultant's already healthy ego.

Jane grinned before saying "Deep Throat," and then passed the list back to them.

Cho took up the list and ran down the names, it was obvious when you knew. He nodded appreciatively ,"Mark Felt, former deputy director of the FBI." Felt had admitted his role as the whistleblower in the Watergate scandal not long before his death, so someone was clearly indulging in a private joke by using that alias.

"Yes, it's interesting isn't it. I wonder whether it was just an ironic choice or if it's symptomatic of a cover up somewhere." Jane's thoughts briefly turned to what Karen had said about Bertram. "I assume you couldn't contact this depositor, out of interest how do depositors normally pay for the safety deposit service?"

"It varies but it looks like this one was paid upfront by cash. That pretty much kills the paper trail." Cho replied.

Lisbon and Jane reviewed the day's findings when everyone had left for the day. "Looks like Cross came good with her tip off." Although Lisbon was pleased with the progress they were starting to make, she was uneasy about the direction it was starting to take.

"Yes she did, but this is leading into dangerous territory Lisbon. Just concentrate on solving the crime for now." Jane warned before he changed the subject. "So tell me about Frances Rutherford, what's she like?"

"Not much to tell really. We only had the briefest introduction, but it was uncanny it was like when you try to read someone. She looked straight through my defences." Lisbon hesitated briefly, "actually I was going to talk to you, I need a favour. Bertram's strong armed me in to attending another function tomorrow night and I need a date. If you're willing to go with me you can meet her yourself and form your own opinion."

Jane raised an eyebrow teasingly "Another date? Two in a week, really Lisbon people will start talking."

Lisbon frowned angrily at him "Cut the crap Jane. Saunders in Fraud would be more than willing to go with me if you have a problem."

Jane put that little nugget of information into the memory palace for future consideration, he had noticed the rugged agent had been hanging around the office more than necessary for the last few weeks. "Oh no problem my dear Lisbon. Au contraire, I would be delighted to spend another evening with you."

"It's black tie, so you'll need a penguin suit and please Jane don't say anything embarrassing." Maybe Saunders would have been a safer choice, but she did not any further complications on that front.

Jane purloined Van Pelt's computer while she was out following some leads on the Gomez case, he needed to find out as much as he could about Rutherford before the function. Apparently she was an acclaimed social anthropologist, the author of several academic tomes on the interactions of government and human behaviour. Since leaving academia she had chaired a number of progressive think tanks, but had only recently arrived on the political scene where she espoused a radical new approach to politics.

Jane read the text of some of her speeches online, it was clear why her view struck a chord with people . A lot of her pronouncements were self evident truths and were critical of the machinery of government and the vested interests that held governments to account. There was a zeal to her writing that made him feel slightly uncomfortable, although he could agree with much of what she said in principle, he knew that realpolitik involved compromise and that her utopian outlook relied on either universal consensus or strict enforcement. Nevertheless he looked forward to making her acquaintance.

* * *

It was decided to let Jane have a free hand interviewing the suspects, Cho's direct approach had yielded little information as the gang had closed ranks, so a more inventive approach was required. Jim Delaney had his lawyer with him and looked composed and relaxed, he nodded in acknowledgement as Jane entered the room.

Jane started politely. "So Jim, sorry about the accommodation. I would imagine it's a step down from what you're used to."

"I've stayed in all sort of places makes no difference to me, one bed is as good as another." Delaney brushed Jane's comments to one side.

Jane started a monologue studying Delaney's micro expressions to see what hit home, he knew Delaney wasn't about to rat on anyone, too old school for that, but he might be able to learn something by seeing what caused a reaction.

"Firstly I must congratulate you on a meticulously planned operation, you rarely see anything so well executed these days." Jane paused briefly noting a degree of satisfaction on Delaney's face as he took the plaudits. "In fact that makes it all the more surprising that your plans for after the raid were so haphazard. It's hard to reconcile the two sets of events, unless of course they were not as random as they appear and someone wanted you to get caught and take the rap for the crime." There was a brief flicker at that comment, Delaney was clearly digesting that possibility.

"The fourth member of your gang is still unidentified. It's interesting when you look at the footage, he was much more careful to keep in the background and his disguise gave little away about his personal appearance or characteristics. He took the getaway car far beyond the reach of the surveillance network before divesting himself of his disguise, unlike the rest of you who changed back to civvies in full view of the CCTV network. It's a shame he didn't share his knowledge with you, you could still have been enjoying the high life." Delaney's eyes narrowed slightly, Jane was clearly hitting a nerve.

"I'm guessing that 'Clyde', as the press are calling him, was the brains behind the outfit. It's no coincidence that he was the driver and took the stash away with him. Rumour has it that you were looking for something in particular." There was no reaction from Delaney, clearly he just thought this was a straight forward heist."Clyde's not from your network is he? An outsider who contacted you and brought the group together on your recommendation. Imagine how that must look to the rest of the gang. The finger of suspicion points at you, how do you think they will react to that? Looking at their rap sheets they're more than capable of exacting revenge on anyone who's double crossed them."

Delaney could see the way the conversation was going, he was going to be a pariah whatever he did. He whispered something to his lawyer, who piped up."Mr Jane, my client would like some time alone with me to discuss the new developments." Jane nodded and left them to stew things over.

Lisbon had been in the observation room "Do you think he will bite?"

"Hard to say. These old school types have a code of honour, but if he thinks someone has stepped outside that code he might try for a plea bargain." Jane sensed Delaney had been prepared to take the rap and do his time until he suspected foul play.

"Do you want to see the other two or shall we wait to see how this plays out?" Lisbon wanted to move the case along and identifying Clyde was pivotal to their investigation.

"I don't think we'll have long to wait, the lawyers will probably confer before Delaney decides which way to go. I would suspect the three gang members will stick together on this, provided Delaney's lawyer sells his story to their lawyers." Jane replied.

Sure enough Delaney agreed to co-operate in return for a deal for him and his accomplices. Ardilles was willing to go forward on that basis, provided their information would help identify the ringleader. They supplied a comprehensive description of Clyde, who they knew as John Robie, it was clearly an alias but they had no prior knowledge of him and had accepted that at face value.

If Jane's suspicions were right Clyde probably had bigger problems than evading the law, whoever had dealt with Javier Gomez would already be hunting Clyde and had the advantage of knowing his true identity. It would take a slice of good fortune or inspiration to get to Clyde first, things didn't look good for him.

Van Pelt's investigations into the Gomez's phone records had thrown up a curveball, on the morning he was murdered several calls had been made to the State building switchboard. It was impossible to know who he had been trying to contact, but it backed up the conspiracy theory.

Jane didn't know how Lisbon would react to all this, especially as they were scheduled to meet Bertram and Rutherford socially tomorrow.


	17. Chapter 17 : The New Order

**Chapter 17 : The New Order**

Lisbon sighed as she removed the old black evening gown from its dust cover; she really hated these functions, but at least Jane would be by her side to take the burden of the idle chatter off her shoulders. When inclined Jane could turn on his easy charm in social situations, it was just a performance to him. In some ways it was a reversion to type, his indifference to the people he was meeting allowed him to treat them like marks. Although Jane was more open with the team and Lisbon in particular, he hadn't lost his disdain for the chattering classes.

Lisbon examined herself in the full length mirror, the long black dress was her stalwart and was coupled with mid height heels for comfort and some simple jewellery. She was passable, it wasn't as if anyone was going to notice her anyhow, she arranged her soft curls into a tasteful chignon with loose tendrils around her face.

Jane always brushed up nicely when he tamed his hair and took a rare close shave; he wore a dinner jacket with ease. "I thought you might be wearing that dress, so I've brought something that you may remember." He handed over a velvet case containing the emerald coloured necklace, which she had refused to accept years ago.

"You kept it!" Lisbon was touched that he still had it.

"Yes, and I hope this time you'll keep it, the colours really suit you." Jane turned her round and did the clasp up at the back of her neck before turning her around to view the finished effect. The whole outfit was lifted, the emerald colours contrasting nicely with the plain black dress.

Lisbon fingered the jewels as she looked at her reflection, they did look good. "Thank you they're beautiful." Lisbon was never good at accepting gifts, but it would be churlish to refuse the same gift twice, and besides she had always known they were just emerald coloured crystals. Moreover she could see the pleasure it gave Jane to see her wearing them.

Jane looked her over approvingly. "What have you done with Agent Lisbon? Unless you've resorted to an ankle holster, I'm pretty sure there's nowhere in that dress to hide a gun tonight." He placed a stole over her bare shoulders covering her enticing skin, but not before he had lightly kissed her neck.

"Jane the taxi will be here any time, come on we need to be ready to go." Lisbon was flustered by his unadulterated admiration, Jane's new found openness was taking some getting used to.

* * *

Bertram was already working the crowd when he saw Jane and Lisbon arrive together. It was obvious they were more than just partners; Jane's attentiveness went beyond normal politeness. "Teresa, Patrick so good to see you. I see you've found yourself a drink. Let me make some introductions to a few people who may interest you, and I know Frances is keen to talk to Teresa again."

Rutherford had been making small talk when Bertram caught her eye. Jane gently rubbed the small of Lisbon's back to relax her when he felt her tense up, he wasn't sure whether it was the prospect of meeting Rutherford or the proximity of Bertram that was freaking her out.

Jane noted Rutherford's composure and air of authority. Her statuesque build, silver hair and strong features commanded attention. The simple but elegant grey attire seemed entirely appropriate, this was a serious woman to be judged on her intellect not her appearance. She captivated her immediate circle, appearing to give them her undivided attention. It was a trick successful people routinely employed, making people feel important would generally make them more inclined to respond favourably.

Eventually Rutherford made her way over to them; she extended a congenial hand to Lisbon, choosing a formal rather than an over familiar greeting. "So good to see you again Agent Lisbon, I do hope we have the chance to talk at some juncture tonight. Is it alright if I call you Teresa? You must call me Frances."

Bertram interrupted, "Frances I don't believe you've met Patrick Jane." Rutherford turned to Jane and proffered her hand more guardedly this time."So pleased to make your acquaintance Mr Jane, I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh please call me Patrick, I've been looking forward to meeting you, I've read so much about you." Jane met her frank look full on, he saw some amusement in her eyes at his unflinching gaze.

"You know how these functions work I have to do the rounds for the next hour or so, but if we can meet up again later I would be most interested to talk to you both. Now Gale, who was it that you wanted me to meet?" Rutherford led Bertram away, leaving them to their own devices for a while.

"So what do you make of her?"Lisbon asked.

Jane took his time before delivering a dispassionate assessment. "Well first impressions are of a cool operator who is very confident in her ability to win people round to her side. She greeted you with respect without patronising you, when you speak with her I've no doubt she'll be informed and interested. Her height confers an air of distinction to her, which together with her striking looks make Rutherford a formidable presence. She is an interesting and complex woman."

"I agree she has a commanding air that defies dissension. You almost feel like she is trying to recruit you." Lisbon ventured.

"That's very astute Teresa, I believe that is exactly what she is doing. The question is why? We are just small fry in the scale of things and are of no strategic importance to her." Jane was puzzled at the preferential treatment they were receiving.

After a while the music struck up and some couples took to the dance floor, Jane lead Lisbon out to the dance floor for a somewhat reserved dance in the circumstances, neither wanting to reveal too much to the onlookers. After a couple of dances Jane gently ushered her back to the sidelines where Bertram and Rutherford awaited.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries Bertram insisted on claiming a dance from Lisbon despite her obvious reticence, they cut an incongruous pairing with the height difference, even with her heels on Bertram towered above Lisbon. Rutherford noted Jane's eyes following Lisbon. "I've heard great things about Agent Lisbon, she's one of the CBI's shining stars."

"Yes she is, her record speaks for itself." Jane responded noncommittally, wondering where the conversation would lead but choosing to let Rutherford to lead for now.

"I can tell you're unimpressed by the circus surrounding politics, unfortunately it's expected of us. I much prefer direct communication with people myself, but you need raise your profile to have a platform so it is a necessary evil." Rutherford remarked candidly.

Jane was struck by her directness and the absence of small talk." No I can't say this is my scene."

"You don't really have much time for politicians do you?" Rutherford commented with a degree of amusement.

"Well, I suppose someone has got to do it, but the people with the desire to put themselves forward aren't always the best suited to holding office." Jane observed paying no heed to any embarrassment his comments may cause.

Rutherford laughed."No, I don't suppose they are, but as you say someone has to do it. When so many feel disenfranchised because no one represents their view, sometimes you have to be prepared to stand up."

"It all depends who and what you are standing up for."Jane said pointedly.

"I see I'm dealing with a sceptic." She said good humouredly, all the while continuing to try and read his expressions. "There's a convention at the weekend, I'm the keynote speaker. Why don't you and Teresa come along and see if you like what I've got to say."

" Flattering as your invitation is, I can't say I'm tempted." Jane politely declined, noting that she showed no sign of displeasure at his rebuffal.

"Anyhow Patrick, did you learn what you wanted to learn?" Rutherford asked provocatively.

"Did you?" Jane countered, understanding they had both been trying to the measure of each other.

"Oh yes, I learned a lot about you Patrick."She responded with great self assurance.

When Bertram and Lisbon returned, Rutherford took Lisbon aside for a private chat out of earshot of Jane. On Lisbon's return Jane enquired what Rutherford had been asking about. "Just general policing, and then she seemed to have a particular interest in the Del Paso heist and what progress we've made. She has some interesting ideas, she's very impressive."

"How much did you tell her?" Jane guessed Lisbon had avoided specific details.

"Only information that's already in the public domain, but nothing of the wider implications," Lisbon assured. Having worked with Jane for so long it was easy to tell when someone was trying to manipulate her, and impressive as Rutherford was, Lisbon knew better than to be flattered by her attentions.

Bertram and Rutherford's watchful eyes followed Jane and Lisbon as they finally left for the evening."Well Frances what did you make of them?" Bertram asked with interest.

"They're well matched Gale. Teresa is surprisingly resilient, I thought she might be more amenable than Patrick but she's a tough nut to crack. I like them though, but you'll need to keep a close eye on them. They have the potential to be problematic. Is it common knowledge they're a couple?"

Bertram laughed, "I'm not even sure Teresa accepts that yet, but Jane's playing the long game. Don't worry about them, if needs be we'll find a way to deal with them. At the moment their usefulness outweighs any difficulties."

* * *

"Thank heavens that's over. God I hate that crap!" Lisbon exclaimed, as she kicked off her shoes and started to make some drinks, clattering the cups on the worktop as she worked out her frustrations.

Jane made his way up behind her and gently started to massage her hunched shoulders which were taut and tense. "Just relax Teresa, it's over now." He leant forward and placed a kiss on the milky skin at the base of her neck, "have I told you how lovely you look tonight?" He smiled as he felt her tense up again and just continued to knead the tension away until she started to lean back into him as she finally relaxed.

Jane idly ran his fingers over her bare shoulders as sat they talking on the sofa."Rutherford suggested we should go and hear her speak at the weekend. I declined, but I must admit I'm tempted to learn more about her. There's more to her than meets the eye."

"Well I can think of better ways of spending a weekend." Lisbon was fed up of schmoozing the high and mighty.

"Ummm, me too," he smiled as he leant in to nuzzle her neck gently, the expanse of bare flesh had proven just too tempting. It was hard for him to tear himself away, but he wanted Lisbon to set the pace. She had to be comfortable otherwise she would just bolt in panic. With that in mind he regretfully made his way home.

Lisbon was starting to feel her defences lowering but the implications of taking on something deeper with Patrick Jane were daunting. With anyone else Lisbon may have succumbed by now, she wasn't a prude after all and certainly wasn't averse to some _stress relief_. However it was clear that Jane wasn't looking for fling, and once she let him into her life, he was there to stay. Lisbon couldn't treat it as if it meant nothing, because it meant everything to both of them. It had the potential to destroy their friendship and undermine their working relationship if it went wrong.

* * *

The team were still making no headway tracking down Clyde, he was proving adept at covering his tracks. Presumably he had made plans to disappear well before the heist. They were checking to see if any of the items reported missing had surfaced, but Clyde was unlikely to make an elementary mistake like that unless he was running short of funds or couldn't access them.

Rigsby and Van Pelt were concentrating on the Gomez investigation. Rigsby enjoyed working as an integral part of the team again, he had started to feel a bit cut off just stuck in the office. Now that things had calmed down a bit at home, they were OK if not great, he was going to suggest that he and Van Pelt alternated going out with Cho. It had done him good to develop his own IT skills over the last few weeks and he was considerably more adept as a result; they had put too much reliance on Grace's aptitude for technology and would be lost without her.

Jane was trying to get his head round the bigger picture, he couldn't work out why Bertram and Rutherford were so keen to get them on side and how or if they had any relevance to the Del Paso case. If documents had been stolen, what could be so important that Gomez would be killed and that Clyde would be running for his life? More pertinently who was Gomez working for?

Jane really needed to find out more about Rutherford's big plan and resolved to attend the open air convention not far from his flat at the weekend. Ideally he could kill two birds with one stone by persuading Lisbon accompany him, and then afterwards they could try the informal Italian bistro he had discovered not far from his flat.

* * *

Rutherford cut an imposing figure on the podium with her silver hair and flowing scarf blown back in the breeze. There was a messianic zeal to her delivery, the crowd were entranced by her carefully modulated yet authoritative voice.

 _"We are here today to discuss a new type of politics that establishes a New Order, without vested interests and prejudice,_ _where common interest produces common security..._

 _It is tempting to conflate society with government, where in fact society is a blessing, but government is a necessary evil. In an ideal world no legislators would be required but we are forced to accept government as a means of protecting the common good. Protection being the purpose of government, we should therefore seek the solution that offers the least expense for greatest benefit._ _..._

 _T_ _he vestments of government are worn by those seeking self promotion rather than those wanting to serve and guide our nation though the moral maze._ _Without order there can be no stability, it is incumbent on us to strive towards a common goal..._

 _Familiarity with the status quo, even in its present self serving state, gives it the superficial appearance of being right, but we have it in our power to start the world over again to create a New Order for the benefit of the people..."_

Lisbon recognised the influences of Thomas Paine in Rutherford's rhetoric but doubted the New Order was advocating the freedom of speech which Paine espoused, the New Order sounded far more prescriptive. Nevertheless Rutherford successfully tapped into the prevailing cynicism about established government, and her speech was well met.

Jane tugged on her shoulder."Come on Teresa, we've heard enough. At least we have an idea where she's coming from, but how it all fits together is another matter." Jane casually slung his arm over her shoulders as they strolled to the bistro for an early evening meal, he smiled inwardly when she placed her arm around his waist of her own volition.

The bistro had a casual ambience that was well suited to a relaxing evening, and they soon fell into easy conversation over their simple but well cooked food. It was still early when they got back to Jane's apartment; he was keen to show Lisbon some changes he'd made.

Completely recovered now after the physical therapy on his injured arm, Jane had transformed the apartment from its previous bland neutrality with his selection of warm earth tones for the walls. It finally felt more like a home than a generic hotel room. There were still no reminders of the past which struck Lisbon as sad, but he was clearly intent on making a new life at last. Perhaps at some time in the future he would be able to reconcile his past with the present, but he clearly preferred to compartmentalise them for now.

"Well someone's been busy." Lisbon nodded approvingly as she took in the changes.

"Here I'll show you the rest, see what you think." The spare bedroom had been refreshed to complement the soft furnishings which Lisbon had originally chosen for the room.

Jane's own room now boasted sumptuous drapes to soften the utilitarian blinds he had inherited with the flat. The austere look he had originally favoured was now replaced with something warm but decidedly masculine.

"It's just lovely Patrick. I'm so pleased that you're making a proper home" Jane basked in her approval, it meant a lot to him. Part of him hoped that seeing him in a settled domestic environment would give her re-assurance that he had put down roots and was going nowhere.

Lisbon settled on the sofa, she idly turned the news on to catch up with events while Jane busied himself in the kitchen. There was some coverage of the New Order press conference after the event, Lisbon called out to Jane to come and watch it with her. Rutherford competently handled the questions which seemed tailor made for her, Lisbon half wondered if the questions were pre-agreed. A strident voice could be heard vying for attention. "Karen Cross here. Is it true that you've already engaged in cross party talks with prominent members of the main parties, to put together some form of ruling coalition after the elections?"

Rutherford hesitated briefly before responding. "Why thank you for that question Karen. The New Order recognises the necessity to take all views on board, however it is up to the good people of California to decide who they want in Government. We would of course work with anyone towards the common good."

"But isn't it a fact that these discussions are at an advantaged stage?" Karen persisted.

"Karen the will of the people will prevail, we are just here to serve." The tone was perceptibly sharper than before, but Rutherford's face gave nothing away. They quickly moved on to other questions

Lisbon frowned slightly, "Cross knows something, I wonder where all this is leading?

"She's worse than you when she's got her teeth into something. The danger is that one way or another they'll try to silence her." Jane had an ominous feeling that they were going to be dragged into dangerous territory, just when he was ready to enter a more settled phase of his life.

* * *

 **A/N** Hope this isn't too dry


	18. Chapter 18 : Jigsaw Pieces

**Chapter 18 : Jigsaw pieces**

After another fruitless morning investigating Gomez, Jane and Cho revisited his apartment to see if they could pick up any new clues. Van Pelt had suggested some possibilities to look out for such as memory cards in cameras, old phones or music players, not to mention the endless variety of novelty USB sticks that could have been overlooked. No doubt the killers had already systematically picked the place over; Jane doubted that anything obvious would have been missed, if there was anything left it would probably be hidden in plain sight.

After Jane had inspected the bookshelves for anything suspiciously out of place, Cho started shaking the books and magazines to check for loose papers. Jane turned his attention to the CD collection; the dust on the edges of the cases looked uniformly distributed. Cho could look through those, but Jane didn't expect there to be anything of interest.

Gomez had a taste for retro things, his work appeared to be well rewarded judging by the memorabilia scattered around the place. It crossed Jane's mind that Gomez probably knew how to extract the best value for his work and Jane wondered if he had been playing one party off against another. Jane opened the desk drawers not expecting to find anything of interest there, but Lisbon's mantra of tracking down every lead nagged away at him, and for once he diligently examined the contents.

His initial instincts proved right there was nothing of interest, so he wandered through to the bathroom. Judging by the fitments Gomez clearly didn't stint on things, he wasn't the usual small time criminal. An antique shaving set complete with a badger shaving brush caught Jane's eye, he glanced approvingly at the classic design of the stand. Although he was no great fan of shaving he had to concede there was something satisfying about the ritual of an old fashioned wet shave, the lathering of the soap and slow action of removing the lather in careful strokes.

He paused briefly recalling that Gomez had a smartly trimmed beard, before lifting the lid off the soap holder and taking in the aroma of the unused block of sandalwood soap. The butterfly razor caught his attention, the butterflies were not seating down properly. It offended Jane's eye so he took it from the stand and tried to twist the mechanism to adjust the razor but met with some resistance, his curiosity was piqued so he slowly opened the butterflies and a smile broke out on his face when a fingernail sized micro SD card was revealed. Ever the performer he called Cho through to the bathroom to unveil his finding with a dramatic flourish. Cho just rolled his eyes, Jane needed no encouragement from him. At least it was something for Van Pelt to get her teeth into.

As Cho drove them back to the CBI, Karen's phone number flashed up on Jane's phone. "Karen, to what do I owe the dubious pleasure of this call?"

"Just wondering if you'd like to be a guest on my final show? It's a live show and I intend to make it a memorable one." Karen ventured.

Jane chose his words carefully as Cho was with him. "Last show Karen? Must admit I'm not wholly surprised, upsetting people with influence has consequences."

"So that's a yes then?" She tried hopefully.

"Oh no Karen, you know my aversion to the camera, and anyhow I'm not convinced of the prudence of your actions. These are not forgiving people be very, very careful who you upset." There was no way Jane was putting Lisbon in danger by appearing on TV; that was one mistake he would never repeat.

"Oh well worth a try, don't forget to tune in Patrick." Karen breezily rang off.

Cho looked sideward at Jane when the consultant ended the conversation without comment. "Something else I don't need to know about?"

"Probably best not to at the moment, hopefully it will come to nothing." Jane replied evasively.

"We're not stupid Jane, we know there's something going on, but if or when it affects us we have a right to know." Cho's eyes were focussed on the road ahead but he knew his point had been made.

* * *

Knowing Lisbon needed time to herself Jane tended to leave her to her own devices most week nights, but as it happened they had hardly seen each other for the last couple of days what with Lisbon's monthly management meetings and Jane being out working with the team. At Jane's suggestion they had picked up some tacos on the way back to Lisbon's home, and they settled down to watch Karen's last show together. Although she hated to admit it Lisbon had missed him, and she thought he was the needy one!

Karen had brought back some favourite guests to revisit memorable events, but she decided to wind up with a homily on the forthcoming elections. "So I'm bowing out as the influence of television is waning, the internet has fundamentally changed the media eco system rendering the old means of communication flawed and outdated. New egalitarian mediums are open to us for acquiring and distributing information, free from the constraints of sponsors and vested interests."

A rogue's gallery of photographs of prominent officials and politicians, including Bertram, rolled along the bottom of the screen as Karen wound up."We are entering a dangerous period where things and people are not what they seem. I can't say too much at this juncture but take note of these people, and remember the truth is rarely a politician's objective, election and power are. Just be very careful what you wish for. This is Karen Cross signing off."

"Well I was expecting worse, but I guess her producer will be looking for a new job after allowing that to go on air." Lisbon reflected that although those featured in the report had been fingered, as no specific accusations had been made they had little recourse for redress. Drawing further attention to themselves was likely to be counterproductive; the old adage about smoke and fire was all too true.

"Sounds like Karen's already got something in mind, she doesn't know when to give up." Jane shook his head disapprovingly knowing Karen was heading for trouble.

"I wish I knew what Cross was up to, she obviously knows something but not enough to go public." In her gut Lisbon knew this was related to their case, and was minded to try and contact Karen.

Jane eyed her warily guessing where her thoughts were leading, and decided some diversionary tactics were in order. The ensuing make out session was in danger of escalating as neither of them had full control of their libido; finally common sense prevailed when Lisbon came up for air. It would be all too easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and regret it later, so she gathered her resolve and gently pushed him away while she sat up.

"How long have we been friends Patrick?" She solemnly addressed him.

"I'd say there was an instant connection from the day we first met, for me at any rate." He recalled how her no nonsense attitude on their first meeting had quickly changed to concern when Hannigan assaulted him. Jane had felt an immediate affinity with the rather prickly petite agent, and had followed her round like a lost puppy the first couple of days, only starting to get some confidence back when she invited him to help crack the case.

"You're the first person I think of when I wake up; I couldn't imagine life without you." She spoke from her heart. Jane went to speak, but she put her finger to his lips. "Your friendship means the world to me, and the implications of putting that at risk are frightening. Our friendship would last forever, but relationships can be transient and rarely end well."

Jane leant back heavily; he knew the discussion was long overdue. "Why shouldn't it work Teresa? I know there have been no declarations on either side, but you must know of my feelings for you. Although I've only recently been free to admit them to myself, but they've been there for a long time."

"I've always hoped that was the case, and I'm sure you know I feel the same, but if we move forward it changes everything. No matter how much you hope it doesn't, things are never the same." Lisbon's previous long term relationships had foundered because of her phobia of commitment, if the same happened this time she would lose everything.

"Teresa, I cannot think of any circumstance where you wouldn't be in my life, whatever transpires. You dragged me back into the world giving me a sense of worth and purpose at a time when I was consumed by self loathing. The only thing that got me through the despair of those long sleepless nights was the knowledge that I would be seeing you again in the morning. Despite my self imposed abstinence and determination to stay aloof, I soon realised that I'd come to look forward to the sound of your voice, the endless chidings and bickering, that grumpy little frown you have in the morning before your craving for caffeine has been sated, even your slightly rolling cop walk." He awaited the inevitable response.

"I don't have a cop walk!" The shrill denial came as expected.

"Next time you're out with the team just watch them, I figure you subconsciously mimic each other initially and then it becomes a habit. I didn't say I didn't like it, it's kinda hot actually. Anyhow putting that to one side, I soon realised that you were an essential part of my being. We've always fallen out and will continue do so, I'm not suddenly going to stop being a jackass."

"No kidding," she drawled sarcastically.

"The point I'm making is that I will never put that friendship to one side, whatever trials we have. You have my utmost respect and devotion. I'm certainly not trying to rush you into anything and I'm not saying it's going to be easy. Hell, I'll be racked with guilt at times, you'll probably wonder if it's worth the effort sometimes. I honestly don't know I'll react when the time comes, the past has a habit of resurfacing when you least expect it. I may be damaged but I'm trying so hard to move forward and I want to move forward with you Teresa."

Lisbon stroked his hand gently. "I know Patrick, and we will move forward, although you're hardly painting a picture of wine and roses, but I want to do it with my eyes open and not on a wave of passion."

"What about work?" Jane always assumed this might be a major hurdle to overcome.

"What about work?" She shrugged indifferently."Everyone thinks we've been at it for years. According to the water cooler gossip that's the only way I exert any control over you." A wry smile formed on Lisbon's lips, she'd been incandescent the first time she'd heard that. "Look I'm not going to flaunt anything that's not my way, but when the time comes we'll just carry on as normal, neither denying nor confirming anything. It's no one else's business and I'm not ashamed of anything."

The moment had passed, but Jane left that evening feeling infinitely more optimistic than he had for a while, Lisbon was clearly coming round to the idea.

* * *

The memory card had contained a dossier detailing the indiscretions and misdemeanours of a selection of high ranked officials, business people and politicians. They cut across all walks of life and although the information disclosed was hardly earth shattering, it was embarrassing enough for people to want to keep it out of the public domain. Although the document was clearly just in draft form, someone was compiling enough information to ensure the subjects either looked the other way or acted favourably when the pressure was applied. There was sufficient overlap with the people Karen had identified on her final show to be more than a coincidence, although notably Bertram was not mentioned in the dossier. Frustratingly there was still not enough information to be able to prove who had commissioned the dossier and more importantly how they intended to use it.

Copies of the file were made and kept safe before Bertram was informed of its existence, Lisbon had insisted on keeping him informed to maintain the appearance of cooperation. They all knew the data in itself meant nothing and there was no need to keep it secret.

Van Pelt had modified the document attributes so that the author and source were untraceable, although the team had that information. The author according to the file properties was one J_Davis, if the document had been compiled in an organisation this would presumably be the login name for the network. In all the likelihood the author was probably a junior employee who had merely transcribed the data they had been given. By now the whole team knew about the wider implications, but obviously they had to act with the utmost secrecy to stop Bertram getting wind of things.

Van Pelt suggested doing some of the work off site, so Lisbon invited her over to her place so they could continue their investigations in private. Jane took charge of refreshments as he listened intently to the two women systematically working things through. It didn't go unnoticed by Van Pelt that Jane seemed very at home in Lisbon's kitchen, Jane caught her watching him and she flushed slightly before hurriedly returning to her work. When Lisbon popped upstairs to fetch a second computer Jane made a point of handing Grace's drink to her, not letting go of the cup until he engaged her in eye contact. "Problem?" He enquired pointedly.

The initial temptation to wither under his stare was quickly replaced by annoyance at the obvious intimidation, Grace's mouth twitched ever so slightly before she archly replied "au contraire my dear Jane." Grace had deftly turned the tables on the consultant much to his amusement. He placed a kiss on top of her head and whispered "thank you Grace," and then he took the seat next to her to see what she was doing.

When Lisbon re-appeared with the second laptop they split the activities, Grace concentrated on searching for anyone at city hall or in the police departments who might fit the bill of J Davis, assuming that wasn't a married name.

At Jane's request Lisbon checked Karen's high school records. Karen had few chinks in her armour, but Jane reasoned that even at an early age she would have been fearless and may have taken someone more vulnerable under her wing, who in return would be a loyal and devoted friend. It was possible that such an association had been formed in her school days.

There was a Facebook page featuring her year book. It made predictable reading, a confident looking Karen had been an active participant in the school council and had excelled at debating and sport. Jane viewed it all as an outsider, he'd never experienced this side of life but it occurred to him that Lisbon and Grace had. "So if we were to look at Carl Sandburg High School in Chicago, what would we find out about a young Teresa Lisbon?"

Grace pulled a face at him."Leave me out of it, she's the boss remember. Anyhow at that time they didn't publish everything on the internet." Jane snorted at her faux pas, while Lisbon just shook her head good humouredly.

They continued to trawl through Karen's alumni looking for a Davis until finally an anaemic looking girl caught their attention. It looked like she had been ill at some stage and was still recuperating, her name was Jennie Davis.

Grace cross checked the name against her databases and sure enough one of the backroom staff at the State Capitol was a Jennie Davis. That was a turn up for the books, no wonder Karen was so well informed. The difficulty was deciding how to proceed from here; it was too dangerous to approach Davis at city hall. Indeed they may not even need to do that, just mentioning her name might be enough to get Karen to open up.

* * *

Karen had lost no time setting up her latest venture, she was blogging and tweeting under the banner _The Cruz Missive_. It was an irreverent mix of news and satire, being indiscriminate in who it targeted. She had already amassed an impressive number of followers including some independently minded celebrities and luminaries. No one could accuse her of specifically targeting any political party, and because she did not seem to have an overt political agenda the ruthlessly targeted barbs hit home. Karen was timing her attacks with precision to cause the maximum damage for the hapless victims.

Jane and Lisbon tracked her activities with interest wondering where it was all going to lead, there was an undeniable schadenfreude in seeing the state grandees being debunked at will, they suspected this was just a front for a more subversive agenda on Karen's part.

It was established that Jennie Davis was on long term sick leave, by anonymously calling the State building and asking for her. Either she was genuinely ill or had been spirited away to a safe haven. Van Pelt continued to check out her history and discovered there were periods of recurrent illness, afflicted by chronic fatigue syndrome she had struggled to maintain continuous employment. It was entirely possible that her absence was genuine. Her education revealed a predisposition for IT and web development, interests which were conducive to working from home during periods of incapacity and which would be invaluable for Karen's latest venture.

Although the pieces of the jigsaw were starting to come together they wouldn't get the full picture until the missing pieces were found.


	19. Chapter 19 : The Hacktivist

**Chapter 19 - The Hacktivist**

Rutherford's campaign was gathering pace, one of the retiring State Senators who had reached his term limit had already publicly endorsed her, and despite being an independent the polls were looking good for her. A couple of well respected City Council members had announced their candidacy for the State Assembly under the New Order flag, riding on the back of Rutherford's success. In turn other affiliated candidates had put themselves forwards to represent the vacated districts. If they could tap into the prevailing discontent, there was an outside chance they could gather enough support to hold the balance of power in the State Assembly.

Bertram took care not be too closely associated with Rutherford in public, although it was widely known in political circles that he was a supporter. Jane and Lisbon followed the campaign with interest, they could not say Rutherford was any worse than her opponents, in fact compared to some of the reactionary policies being put forward by other candidates, she appeared to be the voice of reason. Carefully positioned midway between the two extremes, she attracted support from those who wanted a fair minded government but with responsibilities.

* * *

Pressure was being put on the SCU team to wrap up the Del Paso case and take on some new cases. As their only justified line of official enquiry was in tracking down Clyde, Lisbon reluctantly agreed to take on a new case which they could run concurrently. It was just up Jane's street, a woman called Barbara Schuster claimed to have a vision of someone being bludgeoned to death. The vision was so vivid that she appeared to be having a seizure at one stage, and her worried sons called 911. When questioned Schuster identified the location of the alleged crime as Folsom Lake. Although she had been written off as a crank, sure enough a body was found within a couple of days.

The team surveyed the crime scene at Folsom Lake, there was poor road access and sparse vegetation by the shore side. It was noted that the victim had been a well built woman, and the murderer had presumably struggled to manoeuvre and hide the body in the uneven terrain, so it would have only been a matter of time before the body was discovered, even without the information from the supposed vision. A cursory check of the crime scene suggested there was little evidence to be found, and the drag marks on the body confirmed that the killing had taken place elsewhere.

Inside the SUV, which had been scanned for bugs, the team felt freer to talk than they did back in the bullpen, so Cho filled them in on the latest situation regarding Clyde. A couple of the stolen items had surfaced in Folsom, and Cho guessed that Clyde must be running short of funds or unable to access them. There was some surprise that he wasn't further afield by now, and as they hadn't spent that long at the lakeside crime scene they made a diversion to Folsom to talk to the dealer who had been offered the stolen goods. Cho and Rigsby started to make enquiries in the area showing the rather fuzzy photographs of Clyde to see if anyone recognised him. It soon became apparent that they weren't the only people actively looking for Clyde, although no one could make an identification a few admitted that they had been shown similar photographs in the last few days.

Jane and Lisbon's interview threw up little information of interest, the dealer had recognised one of the more distinctive items of jewellery from the lists routinely circulated by the police department. When the dealer had gone into the back room to check the parts under magnification, he had told his assistant to call the police. Clyde had started to get suspicious and reclaimed the items before bidding a hasty retreat before the police could get there. The dealer identified Clyde from the photographs, although he had a full beard and sported glasses now; the one thing the dealer said of interest was that Clyde was carrying his arm carefully, an injury must have been sustained at some stage since the heist. Not knowing Clyde's true identity they couldn't check if he had sought medical assistance, or if he had known associates in the area, so they were still not much further forward. However this smacked of desperation on Clyde's part, and it wouldn't be long until he was forced to surface again.

* * *

An interview had been set up with the victim's husband Tony Sanchez for later that afternoon back at the CBI, from what had emerged it appeared that the victim had been having an affair with the husband of the woman who had reported the mysterious dream. Tony Sanchez was a thickset man, who wasn't the sharpest tool in the box and Jane and Lisbon watched Cho go through the routine questions relentlessly trying to grind the man down.

"What do you think Jane? He looks good for it to me." Lisbon ventured.

"Well superficially yes, but look at the build of him, He would have had no problem handling the body, I suspect our killer is of a slighter build." Jane observed, not taking his eyes off the ongoing interview.

"Mr Sanchez isn't it a fact that your wife was having an affair, and that you brutally attacked your wife and her lover leaving them needing hospital treatment." Cho stated in his matter of fact way.

"Look I may have tuned them up a bit, nothing that cheating bitch didn't deserve, but I didn't kill them." Sanchez responded warily.

"I'd say it's a bit more than tuning up beating them up with a wheel wrench, luckily for you they wouldn't press charges. When did you first become aware of your wife's affair?" Cho threw that in to unsettle Sanchez.

"It was that loony bitch Barbara, the one who had the dream, her husband was having an affair with my wife. She kept phoning me telling me what was going on and inciting me to do something. Told me all our friends knew about it and were laughing at me. In the end I had to do something." Sanchez was starting to get defensive.

"Did they call off their affair after that?" Cho persisted.

"I've no idea, I threw her out and told her I never wanted to see her again. She could do what she freaking well wanted, so long as she kept out of my way." Sanchez sounded as if he meant it.

Jane had heard enough, he went into the interview room. "Agent Cho do you mind if I join you?" Cho glanced suspiciously at him, since when did Jane ask permission?

"So Mr Sanchez, your wife has humiliated you, or so you're told. It's only natural you're going to teach her a lesson show her who's the boss. I mean who wouldn't want to do that?" Jane spoke as if he condoned how Sanchez had acted.

"Bitch had it coming, no one makes a fool of me." Jane leant over to feel his pulse but his hand was angrily brushed aside by Sanchez who snarled, "keep your hands off me, what d'ya think you're doing?"

Jane continued to lay the bait. "So when you heard she was still carrying on you, you decided to do something and things got out of control."

Sanchez was getting more bellicose, he leant across the table and spat his words at Jane. "If I'd wanted to off the bitch, I would have done it the first time. I mean I'm prime suspect now, if I was going to kill her I wouldn't draw attention to myself beforehand."

Jane looked up at the observation window towards Lisbon. "Impulsive and quick to anger, not the smartest man in the room, probably had rough justice meted out to him as a kid and thinks violence is the norm, but no tendency to psychopathy. This was a cold and calculated crime, he may be a vicious thug who deserves to be behind bars, but he's not our man."

Jane strongly suspected it was Barbara Schuster with her trumped up vision who was the guilty party, although he hadn't even met her yet. Jane sensed there was a faux psychic vibe going on, and that was enough to get his interest. When Sanchez had washed his hands of his wife, it looked like Schuster had been forced to do something herself to save her marriage and then she had tried to fit up Sanchez with the crime.

The team would set up an interview tomorrow, but Jane and Lisbon had other things to work on and they had done enough real case work to justify a few hours following their own investigation in the morning.

* * *

They needed to find out more about Davis, Van Pelt had found her last address and Jane and Lisbon decided to stake out her apartment block early the next morning to see if they could learn anything. Armed with supplies of muffins and hot drinks they patiently waited as they chatted inconsequentially. They were soon rewarded by the sight of Karen Cross leaving the fairly nondescript block of apartments on the way to the local shops. Devoid of makeup and with her hair scraped back, no one would give her a second glance, she was barely recognisable as the über confident well presented TV host.

They waited until Karen returned with some supplies before making a move, taking the opportunity to slip through the security door as someone was exiting the building. Standing outside the first floor apartment where Davis lived, they saw someone looking through the spy hole in response to the door bell. "What the hell are you doing here?" Karen hissed when she opened the door, she furtively looked up and down the corridor before pulling them in to the apartment.

A pale thin woman with oversized luminous eyes lay on the sofa with a blanket pulled over her, her face broke into a smile at the sign of some company. Jennie Davis had a compromised immune system as a result of her CFS, and the recent virus she had caught had triggered a major relapse. She barely had the energy to get out of bed some days and had been largely housebound for over a month.

Lisbon quickly took in the situation between the two women, there were two desks set at right angles and it was obvious Karen was very much at home, and coupled with Karen's over protectiveness it didn't take a leap of imagination to work out that they were very much a couple. Jennie looked up at Karen's worried face and gave her a reassuring smile.

Trying to bring Karen's guard down Lisbon absent mindedly put her hand on Jane's knee and ran her hand gently over it. Karen of course noticed it straightaway appreciating Lisbon's tacit sharing of a secret, and there was a brief exchange of understanding. Karen visibly relaxed on that score, and finished getting Jennie the drink to take with her tablets. Jennie gave her an impish look as she took the glass from her, causing Karen to smile indulgently.

Jane watched the interplay with some pride Lisbon had handled it perfectly, he would let her lead knowing her softly, softly approach was more likely to pay dividends than his own divisive tactics.

Jennie piped up "Karen where's your manners? Get our guests some drinks, while I get acquainted with Mr Jane and Agent Lisbon."

"It's Teresa and Patrick." Lisbon responded cordially, taking an instant liking to the ailing woman.

"You must tell me Patrick how did you get that candle to catch fire? Karen was furious that you upstaged her at first, before she realised what good TV it made." Jennie had an infectious joie de vivre that made everyone else relax, she didn't want sympathy.

"Phosphorus," Jane responded laughingly. "Though I have to say I was worried the son might pass the candle on to someone else and blow the gag."

"I've heard so much about you and Teresa, though Karen didn't say you were together." Jennie was eager to glean as much as she could from her visitors. Jane suspected Karen kept Jennie amused by sharing stories about the people she encountered.

Jane left Lisbon to answer Jennie's question, waiting her reply with interest. "Oh we danced around each other for years before finally coming together recently." Lisbon felt Jane lightly squeeze her shoulder approvingly. "Jennie do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

Karen re-appeared carrying drinks "Jennie you don't have to say anything." She addressed Lisbon, concern etched into her features "She's really not fit to be questioned."

"Oh stop fussing Karen, it's nice to have company I never see anyone stuck in here. Let's live for a change after all it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years."

Karen settled resignedly in her chair, but was ready to intervene at a moment's notice.

"How long did you work in Bertram's back office?" Lisbon started.

"Only about 6 months before I caught a virus and got laid low by it; I tend to catch anything that's going round," Jennie replied without a trace of self pity.

"We recovered a file you had been working on, a dirty dossier. I assume you fell ill before you had time to finish it?" Lisbon continued in a conversational manner, so as not to cause any undue stress.

"Yes, I didn't even have time to cover my tracks before I was incapacitated again. It all happened very suddenly. Someone in the office who was sympathetic to our work took a copy of the dossier file and showed Karen some emails, but he wouldn't give her the hard copies. Then all of a sudden he became uncommunicative and he wouldn't talk to us anymore, and he left his position shortly after that. I've told Karen all that I can remember, but we've got no hard proof although we know what was going on." Jennie revealed.

"So what is going on Jennie?" Lisbon asked gently.

Karen glanced anxiously at Jennie, who put her hand out to still Karen.

"There's a network of people across the City and State sympathetic to the New Order, who may be willing to show their hands after the next assembly elections. Some are existing members of the State Assembly who may be willing to switch their allegiance, others are wavering and may need some gentle persuasion. If the New Order can put up a decent showing in the elections, these contacts in the Assembly, City Hall, the Judiciary and the public services are in a position to effectively put a stranglehold on the State Government. As you're aware law enforcement is already compromised, Bertram's got that side well covered. You're only being tolerated while you work within certain parameters and when you stray outside those the forces that be will intervene one way or another." Jennie spoke dispassionately laying the facts before them.

"How can you be so sure about all this Jennie?" Although this all sounded feasible, Lisbon could not be completely sure this was based in fact.

A wicked grin crossed Jennie's face, "I hacked the IT systems when I was logged onto their network and accessed key email accounts including Bertram's that showed what they were planning. I didn't keep copies at the time because I wasn't expecting to be taken ill so suddenly. I'm afraid all you have is my word at this stage."

Jane piped up, "and we believe you Jennie, but without hard proof there's not a lot we can do."

Lisbon interrupted. "Can you tell us the name of the man that copied the file?"

"Jennie wait a minute, you've told them all they need to know, don't compromise yourself by naming him. If he has been leant on and they can track him back to you they may come after you." Karen warned.

"Karen, if we can track you and Jennie down so can they. Believe me we took the utmost precautions to make sure we weren't followed today but sooner or later they are going to work it out." Lisbon cautioned.

Jennie eventually gave up the man's name Martin Feldman, it was obvious he was Deep Throat it only took a small adjustment of the names to work that out, presumably the files held on deposit were his insurance policy. They spent a short time chatting about Karen's new project, Jennie was an enthusiastic participant, she was clearly living vicariously through Karen and admitted that she had added some of the more scurrilous tweets herself.

As she saw them out Karen warned them they must on no account contact her again, if she had anything of value to tell them she would contact them.

As they walked down the corridor Jane had an inane grin on his face, which flew in the face of the seriousness of what they had just learned. "What the hell's up with you?" Lisbon muttered with some irritation.

"You've just admitted we're an item." He dipped forward and planted a quick kiss on her lips before she could do anything.

Lisbon flushed slightly. "So what?"

Jane danced down the corridor ahead of her clicking his heels together mid air in celebration, before turning round to check for her reaction. The frown of disapproval Lisbon was desperately trying to maintain soon morphed into an involuntary grin. Lisbon ruefully shook her head, jeez that man was a jackass at times, even if he was her jackass.


	20. Chapter 20 : Dirty Tricks

**Chapter 20: Dirty Tricks**

Despite the firm lead Lisbon that Jennie Davis had given them, Lisbon was surprisingly reticent about going down that route. There was no doubt that the team was being watched from within the CBI, and Lisbon had doubts about the security of the computer systems, it was highly likely their search activity was being tracked. The spirited invalid had made quite an impression on both Lisbon and Jane, and although Lisbon did not doubt her courage she would be powerless to defend herself if anyone came after her.

Jane shared her concerns about Jennie's safety, and was loathe to endanger her by leading trouble to her door. After all the evidence had been stolen, and it would just be one person's word against another's that the information had ever existed. Feldman may just deny everything and they would have put her at risk for nothing. With that in mind it was decided to step up the search for Clyde as discretely as they could.

Leaving Jane & Rigsby to wrap up the psychic dream case, Cho and Van Pelt made their way over to Folsom. The intention was to make discrete enquiries round the local medical facilities to see if anyone recognised Clyde, they were wary in case the local PD were already under Bertram's control. As tactfully as possible Van Pelt told Cho that his presence on the street was as good as having a neon sign on their car flashing CBI. His cop like demeanour, so effective in official operations, hampered a more clandestine approach. Re-arranging her hair into a softer style and adding a silk scarf to soften her look, Van Pelt discretely canvassed the local medical centres and Doctors to see if any of them recognised Clyde, leaving Cho kicking his heels in the car.

After making little progress in the larger practices, they started to visit the smaller family practices. Eventually Van Pelt finally got a reaction, there was a definite flicker of recognition when a Dr Glassberg saw the photograph but he resolutely denied any knowledge of Clyde. In Jane's new era of glasnost, he had started teaching the team some of the tell tale indicators of when someone was being dishonest. By asking a few innocent questions to calibrate his reactions, Van Pelt had no doubt that the Doctor was lying to her when she started delving deeper.

The practice had a rundown feel to it, and as soon as Van Pelt got back to Cho they ran some superficial checks on the Doctor to see if he had been subject to any malpractice suits or criminal activity. Nothing showed up on with their limited resources, so they phoned Rigsby to put Glassberg's name through the CBI computer. It soon became apparent that the Doctor had been implicated in a scam involving trading prescriptions for narcotics. Not wishing to raise any particular suspicion about Glassberg, Rigsby ran a number of random Doctors through the CBI system from all around the Sacramento area as a precautionary measure.

* * *

Lisbon thought they were on to something and suggested it may be worth talking to Haffner in organised crime to see if he knew anything. They were fairly certain Haffner was clean, and they had heard rumours that his team had been having a hard time getting some of their cases to stick; it was fair to assume that his team was in the same boat as they were. As Haffner's admiration for Lisbon was well known, it wouldn't raise undue suspicion if she popped by his office for a chat.

"Hi Ray." Lisbon tapped on his door before making her way in, she noted Ray quickly glanced around the office before coming back to her.

"Why Teresa, always a delight to see my favourite agent what can I do for you?" He silently mouthed why are you here?

"Just catching up Ray, haven't really seen you for a while _." We need to talk_ she wrote down on his pad.

"Well how about a drink next week sometime after work – I'll even spring for a meal for my favourite agent." Haffner wrote down the name of a diner some distance from the CBI and the time 8pm tonight.

Lisbon nodded then carried on their faux conversation. "Great, I'll look forward to that, and if you're paying I'll order the biggest steak on the menu. See you Ray." The conversation had been run out for the benefit of the other people in the office, keeping the tone light and playful.

Taking care to make sure they weren't followed, Lisbon and Jane parked a block away from the diner and walked the rest of the way before slipping in a side entrance. Ray was already waiting for them in a secluded corner playing with his black coffee. "Why did I know Jane would be coming along for the ride? You two never seem to be far apart these days," he added pointedly.

"Nice to see you too Ray," Jane replied, and then he caught the waitresses attention to order some hot drinks.

"So what's this all about?" Ray brusquely enquired.

Lisbon started. "We hear you've been having some problems yourself of late, running into some local difficulties, what with evidence going missing. If you didn't know better you would think someone was running interference."

"Well, we all know what that is about, so let's not be coy. It's just a question of trying to tread a safe path and get your job done, but sometimes we hit immovable objects." Ray was philosophical, all he could do was do the best job in the circumstances.

"What does Stiles make of all this?"Jane interrupted.

Haffner's eyes visibly narrowed at the question, he quickly recovered his composure and looked Jane straight in the eye to show he wasn't intimidated. "I haven't asked him."

"Really? Although I guess it pays to keep your enemy close, and at least you can keep Brett up to speed with what's going on." Jane returned Haffner's stare, they were like two silverbacks weighing each other up, their mutual interest in Lisbon stoked the fires. Not that Jane would do anything but goad Haffner, there was no question who was the alpha male.

Haffner played with his coffee cup. "None of this is new, what do you really want from me?"

Lisbon timed her intervention to defuse the posturing between Jane and Haffner. If Jane antagonised Ray, he would never help. "I need some help on something Ray. If I'm seen to be looking into this it will trigger alarm bells, but if you were to look into the matter it would just seem like an extension of your work. Don't worry it's nothing illegal, it's just we are trying to work on the down low without anyone getting wind of what we are doing. You know how difficult it is to keep anything secret these days, you never know who is looking over your shoulder."

"Is this about the heist? I've heard a lot of powerful people are interested in getting to your man on the run before you do." Ray's cool gray eyes transferred to Lisbon.

"Yes, it is indirectly. The important thing is that we don't want anyone to link this to our investigation. Are you willing to help us Ray?" Lisbon had too much respect for Haffner to mess him around, and they may need to join forces at some stage in the future.

"Depends what you're asking, but in principle yes." Ray knew they would never approach him unless it was really important.

Lisbon clinically lay the facts before Haffner. "We suspect Clyde sought medical assistance from a Doctor who you may have investigated. His name is Glassberg, he was implicated in connection with the fake prescription scam, but nothing stuck and he walked. We're just trying to establish his network of connections to see if any of them are linked to Clyde. All we need is a list of names, nothing else, and then we can discretely put them under surveillance and see what turns up."

"How are you covering this? You've got new cases now, Bertram's going to smell a rat if you don't work them." Ray raised a valid point.

"The team's doing some work unpaid off the book, and so long as Jane keeps cracking the cases no one will be any the wiser."Lisbon knew her team were doing more than she could reasonably expect, but hopefully she could cut them some slack later on to repay them.

"You realise that even if you catch him, it's unlikely he'll survive to trial if he knows anything." Ray clearly knew more than he was letting on.

"As he wasn't injured in the heist but appears to be now, it's likely someone has already had a go at him." Lisbon guessed Clyde was being actively hunted by all sides.

"Alright, I'll see what I can dig up without raising attention. I use the same gym as Cho, so I can always pass information to him without raising any attention." Ray stood up to leave.

Lisbon gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks Ray, I really appreciate it. If I can repay the favour sometime just let me know."

"Yes thanks." Jane added somewhat less graciously.

Ray looked at him with a smirk "Word to the wise Jane, if you want to keep things under wraps you might want to stop following Teresa with your eyes everywhere she goes. People are starting to talk now."

"Bah! People have been talking for years," Jane brushed the comment aside.

When Ray left Lisbon gave Jane a long look, "and you say I can't keep a secret?"

Jane grabbed the menu changing the subject quickly, "I fancy the eggs, what about you?"

* * *

The SCU team needed to record a closed case to satisfy the powers above, so Jane tackled the faux psychic Barbara Schuster, by playing at her own game. He started the interview normally, and then started to rub his forehead as if he were feeling the onset of a headache. "I'm getting a strange feeling here Barbara, you know I'm psychic don't you? I used to earn my living using my gift but I rarely use it these days, but something or someone is trying to get through to me."

Jane closed his eyes and assumed a trance like position, rolling his head as his eyelids flickered and he started to groan."The spirits have spoken and they are very angry, they just want to rest and people keep disturbing them asking about you. They've told me to tell you that Rico knows what you did and he's coming after you."

Jane flopped forward dramatically before running his hand through his hair."Wow that was powerful, the messages are rarely that clear - do you know a Rico?" In fact Rico was the name of the murdered woman's eldest son, who shared his father's short fuse. He had already done time for assault and was one mean son of a bitch.

She shuffled uncomfortably, she obviously knew all about Rico. Jane glanced down at his papers running his fingers down the sheet until he stopped at a name. "Ah, Rico Sanchez, released on parole from Folsom Prison last week, nasty piece of work looking at his record, threatened someone with a knife over a game of pool. Just imagine what he would do if he was really annoyed and I guess your mother being murdered would qualify for that."

Schuster was getting quite agitated. "You can't prove anything. It's just clap trap there's no such thing as psychics."

"Well it's a real Catch 22 situation for you. If you're wrong about psychics Rico is coming after you, but if you're right the only way you could have known so much about the crime would be if you were there, ergo you are in fact the murderer. As far as I'm concerned either way justice will be served, and you'll get your just deserts."

Jane was cold and calculating giving Schuster no comfort, and then he went in for the kill. "Forensics are looking over your car as we speak, even if you lined the boot to protect against DNA traces, the chances are that your tyres will have picked up deposits peculiar to the lake area. The outlet from the nearby industrial complex drains into the lake, and will leave a unique mineral signature which we can compare to the samples taken from the crime scene and your car. The forensics coupled with your knowledge of the crime will be irrefutable evidence. If you want my advice, next time pick someone smaller than yourself if you want to hide the body, and cut back on the cheese before bedtime if you want to avoid bad dreams"

Jane knew she was broken, and they had got enough to work with. Rigsby could take a statement from her, and the forensics should seal the deal. It was a good way to end the week, and Jane was looking forward to the weekend.

* * *

The jazz festival in the park proved a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon, Lisbon got lost in the music as they listened to renditions of the old time classics, she swayed gently in time with the music when the old Stan Getz classic Autumn Leaves was played. The sax solo got to her every time, she leant into Jane with a decidedly dreamy look on her face. They were both feeling relaxed and mellow as they made their way back to Jane's flat. Jane had decided that it was time for Teresa to make the running, so while reciprocating any affection, he left it up to Lisbon to initiate any intimacies. Lisbon noticed he wasn't as forward as usual, so she came up behind him while he was cooking and snaked her arms around his waist. "Umm something smells nice."

"Are you trying to distract me woman? I'm trying to cook." He smiled to himself at the roaming hands making their way up his chest, but carried on stirring his sauce.

She pulled herself closer to him, her hands continuing to roam. "Teresa the sauce isn't the only thing in danger of boiling over here. There's some wine over there why don't you pour out a couple of glasses?" The small hands slowly trailed back down his sides before being withdrawn; he shivered at her soft touch and exchanged a quick kiss. Lisbon went to open the wine, and contented herself with watching Jane expertly go about his business in the kitchen. Everything about his movement was controlled and placed, even in the kitchen he seemed to have total awareness of where everything was. It was nothing like the mayhem in Lisbon's kitchen on the rare occasions she cooked a proper meal. It was a good job one of them enjoyed cooking, it was just a necessary evil to Lisbon.

It was apparent from the amount of wine that Lisbon was consuming that she wasn't driving home tonight; although she was slightly buzzed and emboldened there was no question that she wasn't still completely in control.

Settling down on the sofa feeling nicely full after Jane's culinary delights, Lisbon was somewhat surprised by Jane's choice of movie which he had chosen especially for her. Lisbon could hardly complain, after all Dirty Harry was one of her favourites. With Lisbon pulled towards him and his arm draped round her, Jane appeared to be enrapt as he watched the drama unfold.

" _I know what you're thinking: 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a.44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?"_

This was turning into the weirdest romantic evening ever, Lisbon certainly wasn't feeling lucky; it wasn't how she'd envisaged the evening going. She ran her fingers over Jane's chest unbuttoning the top buttons of his shirt so she could slide her hand in to get his attention, Jane inwardly quivered but patted her hand half hearted as he affected to give his full attention to the screen.

 _Callaghan_ _ground his foot into Scorpio's wound "If I was trying to kill you, your head would be splattered all over this field!"_

"Way to go Harry." Jane muttered appreciatively into Lisbon's ear, somewhat spoiling the effect of her gentle nuzzling of his neck. It was killing Jane not to respond, he was having to employ all his biofeedback at this point not to give the game away. Jane whispered into her ear affectionately, "I knew you'd like this film, I'd forgotten how good it was."

Lisbon continued her ministrations trying to get his full attention before Jane broke away again."Hang on this bit is really good"

 _"That's the law." The DA insisted as Scorpio was released because Callaghan had violated his rights."Then the law is crazy" Callaghan retorted._

"What do I keep telling you Lisbon? The law is an ass." Jane glanced over to see whether he had pushed her too far. Seeing Lisbon rolling her eyes, he knew he was treading a fine line here.

Finally Lisbon grabbed the remote control in frustration and turned the movie off, Jane looked at her in mock surprise as she advanced on him. Realising this was not the time to kill the mood he pulled her in for a languid smooch, responding submissively as she took the lead again, exactly as he had planned. At this point he was feeling decidedly lucky, and there was a very good chance that she was going to make his day.

* * *

A/N Hope this isn't too rough round the edges, time and inspiration have been at a premium this week.


	21. Chapter 21 : Pancakes for three

**Chapter 21 - Pancakes for three**

Even the dull ache of rarely used muscles could not diminish Jane's contentment as he lay with Lisbon's arm slung over his chest. Despite the playful preamble, their coupling had been tender almost languorous, a synthesis of touch and longing **.** Permissions had been sought and granted as they shyly navigated their way round in a voyage of discovery. With the awkwardness of two friends becoming one put to one side, they were less self conscious when the second wave of passion overwhelmed them.

Later in the depth of the night Jane woke with a start at the sensation of someone being in his bed. Old memories awakened, it wasn't wholly unexpected. He swiftly removed himself to the bathroom to compose himself in private. He splashed cold water on his face as he regulated his ragged breathing and stared into the mirror behind the vanity basin. The reflection that he saw was of a very different man from the brash young man who had so recklessly endangered his family. The deeply etched lines in the face attested to the fact that this man was older and wiser, if not completely reformed. The debt would never be fully paid, he couldn't bring his family back, but in his heart he knew Angela would not begrudge him a second chance at happiness, although he found it hard to justify it to himself at times.

Hiding in the shadows of the past was just an excuse to avoid emotional involvement, and to protect himself from being hurt again. He needed to embrace life, and make his sorry existence count for something. He truly loved Teresa, and maybe he should get round to telling her one day, but words were hollow. What they had was deep and heartfelt, beyond mere words that get thrown around like cheap confetti. The rose tinted spectacles had long since been discarded, each other's foibles and insecurities had long been accepted. Quick to anger, but unstintingly loyal Lisbon could be a real enigma; she had the ability to doggedly stand her ground in the face of his most persuasive arguments when it mattered. She was the only person who could truly hold him to account and be his equal.

Reconciled with his conscience for now, he slipped back into bed before the muted light of dawn started to break through the curtains. In the half light Jane observed the rise and fall of Lisbon's chest as she softly purred in her sleep, with her mouth slightly open. It gave him the chance to finally observe her at close quarters; the paleness of her skin was punctuated by the freckles she tried so hard to avoid. The delicacy and fragility of her features belied her strength and stamina, her tiny body was toned but perfectly proportioned. She looked so young and artless with her hair spread out on the pillow, all her burdens washed away in the afterglow of their coupling.

Yet for all the delicate beauty before him, it was the more spirited version of Lisbon that really set his pulse racing. For all his affectation of appreciating the finer things of life, there was nothing more exhilarating than seeing badass Lisbon in full flight tackling someone twice her size. The reflexive way she licked her lips in satisfaction of the takedown, always made him seriously hot under the collar.

Jane drifted in and out of sleep for a while, to the point where sleep finally evaded him. He gently lifted Lisbon's arm from his chest, and then manoeuvred himself round to the edge of his bed to pull his pyjama bottoms on, before drowsily making his way to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

The smell of fresh coffee permeated through to the bedroom just enough to trigger Lisbon's consciousness, her eyes opened slowly adjusting to the light and taking in the strange surroundings. Aware that she was not alone, she looked up into Jane's smiling face, still feeling slightly grouchy in the moments after waking up, her face scrunched up slightly as the awkwardness of their first awakening sank in.

"Morning grumpy," he teased as he wafted the coffee in front of her. She groaned incoherently, reaching out for the mug and taking a sip from the coffee, before shyly raising her eyes to him.

"Mmm. Morning to you too." She finally smiled back at him and pulled herself into a sitting position with the comforter pulled tight to her, conscious of her state of undress.

Jane smiled at her bashfulness, they had some adjusting to do before they would be entirely comfortable, years of living solitary lives had made them value their own space and privacy. He leant in and trailed the softest of kisses along her shoulder bringing his face up to hers for a solitary kiss before leaning back out. He retrieved his pyjama top and passed it over to her. "Here you may want to slip this on. I'm just going to have a quick shower while you readjust to the morning."

He left Teresa in her reverie reflecting on the night before; it slowly sank in that Jane had stitched her up like a kipper, forcing her to make all the moves. When he emerged from the shower shaking his tousled damp curls he looked over to where she innocently lay, only to be taken unawares by the pillow hurled straight at him.

"Ow! What's that for?" He grinned.

"You sneaky bastard," she muttered. "That played out exactly as you planned it."

"Language Teresa please, that's no way to address your beloved."He desperately tried to keep a straight face.

"Beloved my ass! You set me up and reeled me in last night." Try as she might, she couldn't keep from smiling for long.

"Well I know you're partial to a bit of girl power." He laughed, recalling her inexplicable penchant for the Spice Girls.

Jane started on breakfast while Lisbon showered, but he was interrupted by the sound of the door bell. He sauntered over to the spy hole and was surprised to see Cho standing there. Knowing it must be important for Cho to visit in person he opened the door, feeling a bit self conscious in just his pyjama bottoms.

"Sorry to disturb you, I've been trying to call you and the Boss but can't get through to your phones." Jane averted his gaze guiltily, he had turned both of their phones off. No doubt there would be repercussions for that.

"No problem come in, I'm just making breakfast. Grab yourself a coffee." The freshly brewing coffee would have been a giveaway, had Cho not already seem Lisbon's car in the car park last night. He was glad they were finally moving forward, and besides it was none of his business. "Someone called the office. Clyde wants to hand himself in, thought the Boss would want to know."

Jane was unphased by Cho's tacit acknowledgement of the situation, however that all changed as Lisbon made an appearance. Crap, he hadn't had time to warn her. Freshly showered and drying her hair, she was just wearing Jane's pyjama top. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Cho in the kitchen."Jeez Jane, you could have warned me." She shot an accusing look across at him.

The traces of a smile briefly passed Cho's lips as he assessed her predicament, in an involuntary response he took more than a passing glance at her slim legs, he was human after all. "Morning Boss. Nice pyjamas." He deadpanned them as he looked from one to the other.

Taking refuge standing behind the sofa, Lisbon demanded "Cho what are you doing here?"

Jane smirked, it was time to level the scores a bit."He was in the vicinity. Judging by his distinctly uncoplike appearance, he's on his way home after a night out." He looked pointedly at the hickey on Cho's neck that was just visible under his open necked smart shirt, "I'd offer to lend you a tie to cover that, but it wouldn't match your shirt." Cho maintained his equanimity refusing to rise to the bait, he had told Claire about doing that before.

Reverting to cop mode, he explained to Lisbon that Clyde had made contact and would be calling her mobile in the hour. Lisbon shot Jane a daggers look when she realised he had turned her phone off, and quickly disappeared to get dressed, hastily retrieving a few discarded items of clothing on the way back to the bedroom.

Looking down towards the consultant's bare torso Cho muttered, "You might want to put some clothes on as well, it's kind of distracting."

"There's some pancakes there, help yourself. I'll be back in a minute, assuming Teresa doesn't kill me for not warning her." He disappeared with a grimace on his face. Cho could hear the slightly raised voices coming from the other room and chuckled as he sampled Jane's pancakes, umm not bad.

The warm glow of the morning was gone as Lisbon glared at Jane in anger "You never turn my phone off, without telling me." Jane held his hands up in apology, whatever his reasons he knew it was unforgivable in Lisbon's eyes to do anything that would reflect on her professionally. "Sorry. Shouldn't have done it," he responded simply and unequivocally.

Taken aback by Jane's apology, that was a first, Lisbon tossed her head before walking back out with what remained of her dignity intact.

Cho had made himself at home in the kitchen and he poured himself another coffee. "You really need to try those pancakes Boss." He held his hand out for her cup, rinsing it before pouring her out a fresh coffee. Lisbon found the whole experiencing slightly unsettling, the shared domesticity of taking breakfast with her agent, while her consultant, now lover, cooked up a second batch of pancakes felt slightly odd.

"So what else do you know?" Lisbon asked Cho, vainly trying to retain a veneer of professionalism.

"Nothing apart from a man purporting to be John Robie, aka Clyde, has been trying to contact you." Cho helped himself to more pancakes.

Lisbon was starting to get her head back in gear. "Have there been any reports of disturbances in the Folsom area, shootings, car chases anything that might suggest a stepping up of the hunt for Clyde?"

"I'll get Van Pelt on to that straight away." Cho pulled out his phone and passed the instructions on to Van Pelt, before finishing off his pancakes.

Jane placed another batch of pancakes on the table and sat down to join them. Lisbon pondered, "do you think our investigations may have triggered this?"

"Unlikely, unless Haffner's team have a rogue operator who has latched on to this." Jane thought this most unlikely.

"I think Ray would have dealt with this himself, he's used to keeping his own counsel he wouldn't want anything to slip out accidentally."Lisbon thought it would be out of character for Haffner to let anything slip.

"Probably just coincidence then, don't forget they know his true identity and have been tightening the noose over the last few weeks. We came to this fairly late in the day." Jane reasoned.

"How do we know they won't follow him?" Lisbon was considering all the possible scenarios.

"We don't, but we will need the full team to help. We can't afford to outsource any of this." Jane looked to Lisbon for agreement, she nodded and Cho went off to call Rigsby.

"Hi Rigs, we have a problem. Clyde's about to surface and the Boss wants us all in." Cho could hear the sounds of a heated conversation in the background before Rigsby came back to the phone."Just tell me when you need me, I'll be there." Rigsby said determinedly, he would deal with the fallout later. Sarah had to accept this came with the job.

Cho checked in with Van Pelt, there had been a car chase down the I-50 by Lake Natoma, the vehicle was abandoned and the driver had escaped on foot. It may be something or nothing. Van Pelt would join them when the meet was arranged, and she would bring some bulletproof vests as a precaution.

Cho disappeared to get his go to bag from the car, so he could change into a spare set of work clothes. Jane sidled up to Lisbon "I really am sorry, I didn't have the chance to warn you about Cho." He smirked, "look on it as a bonding exercise, he knows us a whole lot better after this morning."

Lisbon arched an eyebrow giving him a cool stare, "having a subordinate checking me over may not be my idea of team building."

"Teresa believe me no red blooded male could possibly resist." He chanced his luck with a quick peck, then got his things together ready to make a quick exit when the call came.

Lisbon's phone finally rang, it was an unregistered number. "Agent Lisbon speaking."

"You know me as John Robie although the press call me Clyde, I need to hand myself in. It's not safe out here, someone is trying to kill me."

"I'm not sure this line is secure call me back on this number." She reeled off the number of a burner phone and waited for the call back. "Lisbon here. Where do you want to meet? It's probably best if we come to you in the circumstances."

"I'm hiding up in Alder Creek by the Church of the The Latter-Day Saints. If you park up by the woods, I'll come out to you when I see your car. Give me your registration number so I know it's you." He was clearly suspicious of everyone and was taking no chances.

"Ok we'll see you within the hour – call this number if there are any problems." Lisbon passed the information on to Cho.

* * *

They all bundled into Lisbon's SUV, leaving Cho free to make the final arrangements with Van Pelt and Rigsby. Van Pelt had the bigger car so Rigsby would meet up with her, and they would travel in together. There was enough room for Clyde and Cho to travel back with them.

In the car Jane started mulling things over "Cho, who contacted you about Clyde?"

"Duty officer." He realised straight away what Jane was thinking.

"Chances are that everyone already knows about this, we used a safe phone but I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries to follow us. For all we know they may have fitted trackers to our cars." Jane glanced at Lisbon, "it could be they know all our movements."

He knew Lisbon would understand the reason for that last comment, they had parked up outside Jennie Davis' place without out a thought of that. "Oh crap," Lisbon muttered, berating herself for not using a hire car that day.

Cho quickly warned the other agents that there was the possibility of them being followed, so everyone was on their guard. As Cho studied the road map he realised the road to the church was a dead end, and potentially they could be trapped in. After some discussion it was decided to park the second car outside the complex, so at least they had some means of escape in the worst case.

As they pulled into the side road they spotted Van Pelt's car pulled over just before the dedicated service road. They stopped to get the bullet proof vests off Van Pelt, Lisbon handed the spare vest to Jane ."Don't even think about arguing with me. Even if you are in the car you're not necessarily safe." He nodded and took the vest, now was not the time to argue. Van Pelt and Rigsby proceeded by foot following the line of the woods so they weren't too conspicuous, while Lisbon's group proceeded to the allotted meeting point.

Lisbon's phone rang. "There's two people out there, a red head and a tall guy." Clyde had spotted them making their way.

"It's ok they're our people, we're just about to pull in. Just wait a minute while we have a quick look round." Lisbon cautioned.

Jane and Cho surveyed the scene, they didn't like it one bit, there were too many vantage points where a sniper could hide. Moreover there was a second car park on the other side of the church, where people could pull up without being seen.

Van Pelt and Rigsby joined them, Lisbon shouted out to Clyde and waited for him to appear as the others looked out. A shadowy figure started to emerge slowly with his hands held out to signify he wasn't carrying a gun. Rigsby shielded him with his body, but there was a sudden crack of a shot and Rigsby was felled. "I'm ok", he yelled "Just get him in the car."

Before they could do anything, the tell tale red laser light hovered over Clyde and he was shot in the chest. Lisbon rushed over to him, he was bleeding profusely, it looked bad. Clyde put his hand in his jacket and slipped Lisbon some papers in a last ditch attempt to make good. Lisbon had her back to the others and quickly slipped them into her pocket unnoticed. The others were more concerned with Rigsby at this stage. Lisbon held the pressure on Clyde's wound but he was fading fast. Jane came to join her and watched as she did her best to quell the flow. In truth Jane was a little shaken, anyone of them could have been killed, yet Lisbon just carried on regardless.

"It's too late, he's gone." Jane said softly to Lisbon, putting his hand on her shoulder. The sound of approaching sirens got louder, Lisbon and Jane exchanged looks – even if someone had reported the incident it was unlikely anyone would arrive that quickly. Lisbon wiped her bloody hands on the grass while Jane fetched her some wipes from the car, and gently helped her remove as much of the blood as she could before Folsom PD arrived. She quickly felt for the papers to make sure they were safely tucked away in her trouser pocket before anyone arrived.

The tall agent was looking pale, although it looked a deep wound it was unlikely to cause any long term problems. He smiled weakly at her as Cho applied pressure to the wound on his arm. "You Ok Rigsby?"Lisbon gently enquired. "Just a flesh wound Boss," the wound was the least of his problems, he knew this would cause major problems at home again. He shut his eyes and breathed deeply, dreading the confrontation that would follow.

"I can help with the pain if you want Wayne." Jane knelt down by the big man.

"It's ok the EMTs will be here shortly – I'm sure they'll have plenty of the strong stuff." Rigsby didn't want Jane inside his head.

The Folsom PD cars parked side by side across the service road, the team exchanged wary looks and were thankful they had made provision to keep one car off the complex.

The officers approached, and Lisbon pulled herself to her full height, she flashed her badge. "Teresa Lisbon CBI. I have a man down and one dead. You need to clear the road for the EMTs."

The officers looked at each other, then the one in charge nodded to indicate one of the cars would be moved. He sauntered over to Lisbon "Agent Lisbon, what brings you over to our neck of the woods? We weren't aware of any operations in our neighbourhood."

Lisbon didn't like his attitude one bit, he had a very knowing air about him. "This was a clandestine operation, we are not obliged to tell the local PD."

The officer looked at Clyde's body and Rigsby lying on the floor "Went well then?" He said derisively.

Lisbon's ire was rising. "If you want to be useful, you can check to see where the sniper was hiding. The church has cameras they may have picked something up."

"No need to be like that." The officer stepped forward to look at Clyde. "That the guy from the heist? He looks familiar." He bent down to look at the body checking the nature of the wound before looking up at Lisbon. "Well aimed shot, he wouldn't have lasted long. Did he say anything?"

"No, he was bleeding out and lost consciousness straight away." Lisbon coolly returned his look. " Now where are those EMT's we have an injured agent?"

* * *

There was little to be gained by remaining at the crime scene after Rigsby had left for the hospital, so once the formalities with the ME had been dealt with they made their way back to the CBI.

Jane looked at Lisbon. "You're hiding something from me, what have you found out?"

"Check the car Jane." He reached into her glove box, and took out the scanner surprised at her caution. The car was clean and Lisbon visibly relaxed. "I didn't trust those guys, just thought it best to double check, they obviously knew more than they were letting on."

"As do you my dear Lisbon. Come on spill the beans."Jane persisted.

" Right hand trouser pocket."She leaned back slightly to give him better access and watched as he pulled out the papers.

"What is this?" Jane looked puzzled.

"I have no idea, Clyde passed it to me just before he died." Lisbon was just as curious to find out.

Jane opened the papers to see printouts of the emails that Jennie had told them about. Clyde had obviously held back some of the information. Jane wondered if anyone knew about these printouts or whether Clyde's killing was just tidying up a loose end. Probably the latter he reflected, there was a possibility no one else knew about the emails. Jane wondered if these were the only copies in existence at this stage. Either way he wished they hadn't fallen into their hands, he knew Lisbon would feel obliged to do something with them.


	22. Chapter 22 : Wine Country

**Chapter 22 – Wine Country**

While Jane and Lisbon tied up the loose ends up at the crime scene, Cho and Van Pelt made their way back to Sacramento. The responsibility of calling Sarah had fallen to Cho, and her icy response clearly implied that she held them responsible for what had happened to Rigsby.

Pounding away at the treadmill at the gym that night Cho found an outlet for his frustration, he set a steady pace concerned with building up stamina rather than going crazy. Cho guessed that Lisbon was not telling them everything. Basically she was an honest person, and her body language was a dead giveaway when she was hiding something. Naturally she was stressed by the shootings, but there was more to it than that, although in fairness Cho knew she only withheld information to protect them.

It was surprising that Jane hadn't tried to school her better in this regard. His effortless deception could fool most people, although after all this time Cho had started to pick up on some of Jane's involuntary quirks; the restless fingers were a sure sign that Jane was up to something. Confident in his ability to command people's attention with his voice, Jane rarely worried about things like that, but as a seasoned onlooker Cho had started to notice Jane's little foibles and was getting a whole lot better at reading him.

Haffner had spotted him and was heading in Cho's direction. "Great more secrets," Cho grumbled to himself, when did life get this complicated? They were at the end of the line of treadmills, and Cho guessed Haffner wanted to talk as he mounted the adjacent machine.

Haffner started his treadmill at a leisurely pace that allowed him to talk and run at the same time. "I heard about the shooting, what exactly went down?"

"Pretty much what you've already heard. Sniper shot Rigsby and took out the suspect, we learnt nothing from him." Cho replied with typical economy.

"I've been making some enquiries for Lisbon about the doctor in Folsom, but it gets a whole lot more interesting when you know the suspect's real name." Haffner looked straight ahead as he ran, not bothering to gauge the effect of his statement.

"Are you working the case now?" Cho looked down at his treadmill data, to check how far he had run.

"No, Bertram doesn't trust me either. Selby's team have got it now, it will all be swept under the carpet. If they're lucky they'll get some kudos for recovering some of the stolen items." Haffner was fairly cynical about it all these days, gone were the days when he actually cared about law enforcement.

"So what do you know?"Cho raised his head focussing on some imaginary point in the distance.

"Never one to beat about the bush are you Cho?" Haffner quite liked that about Cho, some saw it as bluntness, but it saved all the unnecessary flannel.

"Works for me," the faintest smirk passed Cho's lips."I assume you know something otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Just bits and pieces at the moment," Haffner replied. "I'm keeping this all very low key, but there are a lot of coincidences I'm stumbling across, too many to be accidental. I've nothing to share yet, but just tell Lisbon I'll let her know if I find anything worth disclosing, and I trust she'll repay the compliment. Watch out for the new guy in IA, he's definitely one of Bertram's men and he's bound to want to investigate how Rigsby got shot. He can cause a lot of trouble for Lisbon if he wants to." Without another word Haffner turned his treadmill off and went over to the weights, leaving Cho to mull things over.

* * *

The emails pretty much confirmed the conspiracy to assert a stranglehold on the state government at all levels after the election, if things went the way of the New Order. There was real menace to the threats in the emails; careers would be destroyed unless the demands were met. The threats were issued from an email account in the name of Emmanuel Goldstein and they emanated from the State Capitol. There was a chilling element to it all, this was not an embryonic organisation - the tentacles had clearly been spreading for some time.

It wasn't so much the message that the New Order was promoting that was disturbing, but the methods that they were prepared to use to achieve their ends. There was a distinctly Orwellian feel to this, the incipient establishment of a ruling party willing to achieve power at any cost. One had to wonder what they would do to maintain power, if they were prepared to be so ruthless now. In the mean time Frances Rutherford, the acceptable face of the order, sold a convincing message of hope and aspiration that cut across the political divide, while her henchmen did their work in the background.

The seriousness of Jane's expression told Lisbon they had come across something significant. "Jane are you going to tell me what the papers say?" She demanded impatiently as she concentrated on the road.

Jane raised his head slowly, his lips set in a thin line as his stared ahead. This was dynamite and extremely dangerous for anyone who knew about it. Jane felt neither a moral imperative nor had the appetite to pursue this unless it directly affected them, but convincing Lisbon was a different matter. At this early stage in their budding relationship he wasn't about to fall back on his old habit of holding back information, although he was severely tempted to knowing the strength of Lisbon's moral compass. Any warnings of caution would have to be validated by a sound argument that they needed to be circumspect to protect others, fears for their own safety would hold no sway with Lisbon.

"Jane!" Lisbon's patience was wearing out.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. These are the emails that Jennie told us about, it's hard to see how we can use them without them being traced back to her. In fact it's hard to know how we could use these in any positive way without endangering the whole team. Regardless of whether they know about these or not, the assumption will be that we all know." Jane began warily.

"So what are you saying?" Lisbon was impatient with Jane's delaying tactics.

"We don't even know whether Clyde tried to barter using these, he may have been holding them back for future use. Possibly he had plans to run an independent scam blackmailing the people implicated. A wise man would have bided his time, and kept the information to himself. Used in conjunction with the dossier files, he could have monetised the information to generate a steady revenue stream. I think we should sit on this information for a while and see what happens, this is too big for us to handle." Jane looked across to gauge Lisbon's reaction.

"We can't just ignore this." Lisbon was emphatic in her response.

"No, but we can bide our time to see whether anyone else is aware of the emails, and maybe do some discrete background research in the mean time." Jane was trying to reach a compromise that would assuage Lisbon's doubts about playing the long game.

"I don't know, we have an obligation to do something." Lisbon was not convinced.

"Do we have the right to jeopardize other people's safety to satisfy our own curiosity? Speaking as someone who's done that, believe me it's not a great feeling when it comes back to bite you. Rigsby has already been injured, how would we feel if someone went after Cho or Van Pelt?" Jane spoke animatedly, starting to lose patience.

"They've signed up for it Jane, it's what we do." Lisbon argued dogmatically.

"Think about it Teresa, please. Just bide your time until we have a clear plan, we don't have to share this with the team. In fact the less they know on this front, the better it is for them. If no one knows about these emails, we don't want to draw attention to them until everything is in place to act." By not discounting the possibility of future action, Jane hoped to sway the argument.

"I don't know Jane. I need to read them myself before deciding the best course, we'll have a look through them when we get back." Lisbon had a feeling they weren't going to agree on this.

Jane sighed heavily, he would have to steer a safe passage through this if Lisbon was hell bent on proceeding.

* * *

Cho had dropped by a couple of times to check on Rigsby, who was still recuperating after the surgery on his arm. Cho had crossed paths with Sarah at the hospital, but she was in no mood to make conversation. Van Pelt's offer to babysit Ben while Sarah visited had been swiftly rebuffed. Sarah wanted nothing to do with any of them, and her visits to the hospital were perfunctory to say the least.

The painkillers were wearing off and the pain was sharpening Rigsby's senses, the sound of clicking heels in the corridor sounded familiar. Conscious of her short stature Sarah resorted to power heels whenever she wanted to assert her authority. Rigsby looked warily towards the door, their earlier encounter had hardly been full of sympathy. Sarah deposited a suitcase by the side of the bed before readying herself to speak, Rigsby said nothing as he waited for her to say her piece.

"I'm sorry Wayne, but this isn't going to work out. There is no point kidding ourselves, we've tried but there is too much distance between us. Bridging the gap requires too much compromise, and we'll just start to resent each other. It's better to call it quits while we're still on reasonable terms, and can work out an amicable agreement. I realise my timing sucks, but letting you move back in won't solve anything. We both want the best for Ben, and I'll draw up an equitable agreement." The words were delivered without rancour; she was merely stating the facts as she saw them.

Rigbsy slowly nodded his head in agreement, they had reached the end of the road. "How's Ben?"

"Missing his Dad, but he's young and he'll soon adjust to the situation." Sarah didn't want to bring him to the hospital, better they meet in a neutral venue where her resolve could not be swayed.

"How about you, how are you coping?" Wayne guessed she had done some serious soul searching to reach this point.

"I'm OK, to be honest. There's almost a sense of relief it's come to a head. Obviously I'd rather you hadn't been shot, but you know my feelings on that. Look I've got to go, I'll contact you when you've been discharged and bring Ben to see you. I really am sorry Wayne." Sarah genuinely had to get back to Ben, and there really was nothing else she could say.

Rigsby closed his eyes, his head was pounding and his arm throbbed; he just wanted it all to go away.

Sarah had given Lisbon a heads up on the situation, she thought they should help clear up the mess they had created. Cho agreed Rigsby could recuperate at his flat until he sorted out somewhere to stay. After putting up with Jane as a flat mate, how much trouble could Rigsby be?

* * *

Lisbon had scanned and stored copies of the emails in various cloud locations, the hardcopies were irrelevant in many respects, and the prospect of them falling into the wrong hands was disconcerting, so she shredded them for safety.

Jane's head shot up as he heard Bertram's voice, he quickly made his way to Lisbon's office so he would be there before Bertram. There was barely time to forewarn Lisbon before Bertram appeared in the doorway. He looked with some irritation towards Jane who had taken a place on the sofa with a tea cup perched on his lap, Bertram had hoped to talk to Lisbon privately.

"Hard at it again, I see Jane." Bertram caustically observed.

"Indeed, I do some of my best work here." Jane blithely replied.

"What can we do for you Sir?" Lisbon's perky greeting belied her trepidation.

"Bad news about Rigsby, I trust he is recovering?" Bertram started with the formalities.

"Yes, it's nothing major. He'll just have to stay on desk duty for a while when he comes back." Lisbon waited for Bertram to get to the point.

"There are questions being asked about the operation, whether the agents were placed in undue danger and why there wasn't any backup?" Bertram's urbane exterior did not conceal the intent of his statement.

Lisbon swallowed hard, they could hardly say that they didn't trust anyone. Seeing Lisbon's hesitation Jane intervened. "There was no reason to suppose that he would be targeted, so why would we need backup? Besides he would not have given himself up if there had been a posse waiting."

Bertram stared at Jane, "interesting that he approached Lisbon to give himself up in the first place, what reasons did he give for that?"

"Apparently some of the stash was itself stolen goods, and he was being chased by angry villains, who could hardly reveal the nature of their loss. They had a vested reason in him staying alive, so it's curious to know why someone would take him out." Jane coolly engaged with Bertram.

"Indeed it is, but now it's happened internal affairs are going to be looking in to this. I'm afraid you're off the case with immediate effect, another team will be assigned to investigate the shooting and recover as much of the haul as possible." Bertram turned his attention to Lisbon, his fixed smile barely cloaking his interrogative stare. "So what exactly did happen Lisbon?"

"I called out for the suspect to come out of the woods, Rigsby formed part of defensive shield in front of the suspect, he was taken out swiftly followed by suspect. The suspect sustained a fatal wound to the chest and lost consciousness before he had time to say anything." Lisbon reverted to classic cop-speak.

"Hmm, not sure IA will buy that story, there's a new agent in charge now that La Roche has moved on. He'll be looking into this, so tread very carefully Lisbon there will be a lot of people watching you very closely." The implied threat of Bertram's words hung in the air long after he left the room.

"Oh sheepdip!" Lisbon muttered, they were going to have to make sure everyone was singing off the same hymn sheet before IA questioned them.

* * *

Another case had been assigned to the team, the owner of the Deer Park Estate Winery at the top end of the Napa valley by Calistoga had been found murdered. Normally this would have fallen to the local PD, but the Sherriff's office was still not at full capacity following McAllister's demise and the CBI had been called in to help. There was some apprehension on Lisbon's part as many of the local PD would have been handpicked by McAllister.

However it afforded an opportunity to get out of the office; Lisbon's only concern was that IA may try and grill Cho and Van Pelt in her absence. Lisbon had meetings most of the morning, and by time she had finished up her paperwork it was late afternoon before they got away. She had considered delaying until the next day, but Jane persuaded her a night away wouldn't do them any harm. Jane already knew the case file in detail so he could fill her in on the journey to Calistoga, and they could get the feel of the area before they started the investigation in earnest the following morning.

Despite her busy day Lisbon still insisted on driving and chose the more scenic mountainous route to Jane's surprise. After a bit of case talk Jane sat back and absorbed the scenery, with all the lakes and forests en route this was definitely an area that warranted a return visit. There was some idle chatter about Rigsby's plight and amusement at Cho having to be nursemaid again. They had just hit the Silverado Trail when Lisbon unexpectedly turned off up into the hills, Jane noted the wineries were all associated with the area Rutherford Hill , Lisbon clearly had something up her sleeve, he would sit back and see what she was up to.

Finally she pulled into the Rutherford Estate car park. "I thought we deserved better than some service station pizza for a change, and there's a great restaurant here overlooking the valley."

"Why do I sense there's an ulterior motive to our stop?" Jane wryly observed, it didn't take a mentalist to work this out.

The entrance hall had a display showing the history of the vineyard and associated winery, the Rutherford family had run this historic vineyard for well over half a century. It was a prestige winery catering for the high end of the market. Although it was too late in the day for a tour, there was ample time to enjoy the restaurant and to browse the history display on the walls. It didn't take long for Jane to pick out a photograph of a younger, darker haired version of Rutherford, lithe and casually dressed she looked a far cry from the sleekly presented candidate taking the political world by storm. More surprising was the figure beside her, it was unmistakably a more hirsute younger version of Bertram; there was clearly a long standing association between them. Jane acknowledged that Lisbon had been doing her research, though he personally doubted the wisdom of turning up on the family doorstep.

"Care to let me in on the plan?" Jane was curious what Lisbon hoped to achieve.

"No plan, just killing two birds with one stone. We are in the area so I thought we may as get a feel for what makes Rutherford tick, and have the benefit of some good food for a change." Lisbon replied without guile, there was an idle curiosity to the visit.

Their waitress was happy to engage in conversation and tell them about the history of the winery, which had been in the Rutherford family for the last half century. Although the Rutherford's still owned the estate they played little active part in running the winery, but they still retained the estate residence for their own use. Jane began to wonder whether it was just a coincidence that Napa Valley seemed to be the hub of things.

There was little more to be learned so they made their way to the accommodation Lisbon had booked just outside Calistoga, Jane awaited with interest to see what the sleeping arrangements would be, and he was gratified when she picked up a single key and they made their way to their very modest room.

Any hopes Jane had of some extended one on one time were rudely interrupted by Lisbon's phone ringing, it was Cho calling to tell her what Haffner had said, and to let her know that IA had contacted them and would be starting their investigation the following afternoon. Putting other more pleasurable issues to the side for now at least, Lisbon insisted they go over the case files to try and cover as much ground as possible before starting work in the morning. They had to make sure their professional actions were beyond reproach with the prospect of an investigation hanging over them, and a speedy resolution to the case in hand would be decidedly helpful.


	23. Chapter 23 : Date night

**Chapter 23 - Date Night**

The early morning light filtered through the cheap curtains of the motel room, there was a decided chill in the air and Lisbon snuggled closer to Jane. They had worked well into the night, but it was fair to say it hadn't been all work and no play. Lisbon glanced sleepily at the clock, it was 6.30am already. She groaned, they really needed to get up, but it was so hard to tear herself away from the warm bed. Remembering that she had to be back in the office to meet with IA later that day, she reluctantly drew back the covers and started to get up. There was a whiny of disappointment from Jane, as he felt the empty space she left behind. Lisbon left him to have a few minutes more rest, while she grabbed the first shower.

Freshly showered, she returned to find Jane now awake and making some hot drinks; they would pick up some breakfast to eat in the car on the way to the crime scene. Their brainstorming session last night had thrown up a couple of possibilities, Jane had an inkling of an idea which he wanted to pursue while Lisbon did the routine questioning. Lisbon had requested backup from the local PD in case they made some progress, and two cocksure local cops had been sent over to monitor proceedings. They showed little respect for Lisbon's position, preferring to leer at her while she briskly outlined her requirements.

Lisbon systematically interviewed the family members and employees who were on site at the time of the murder, while Jane wandered around the vineyard noting the upper reaches were looking distinctly bedraggled. In comparison the neighbouring vineyard had no such problems, and Jane sought out one of the resident viticulturists, who was hovering nearby, for an explanation of what was going on. It transpired that they had been forced to let some of the higher reaches go untended because of the drought, the natural water supply was running dry, and their reservoir was seriously depleted. It was necessary to conserve water for irrigation of the lower reaches which provided the highest crop yield.

The viticulturist showed Jane the meagre a trickle of a stream barely wetting the bottom of the deep channel, which was an indicator of higher levels in normal conditions. Jane quizzed the expert how it was that the neighbouring Casa Fortuna vineyard was coping better, the expert just shrugged noncommittally saying that Fulton, the victim, had been talking with the managers of Casa Fortuna to see how they managed their water supply.

Jane wandered off upstream beyond the confines of the vineyards to the woods in the foothills just above them, having found what he expected Jane called Lisbon to ask her to bring the police officers and the viticulturists to the top of the vineyard, and he would take it from there.

"Lisbon, I think I have found our motive for the killing. You just need to humour me for a while and follow me."Jane lead from the front, drawing away from the main party.

It was a good job Lisbon had an idea what Jane was up to, otherwise there would have been some serious grumbling about the climb. Unprepared for the climb Lisbon was wearing her dress boots, and her feet were slipping on the dusty uphill climb, her mood was not improved by the knowledge that the two cops bringing up the rear were clearly enjoying the view, and they weren't looking at the scenery.

Finally they reached the spot in the lower reaches of the woods above both estates, where Jane triumphantly stood atop some small boulders that had been strategically been placed to limit the flow of the water downhill to a mere trickle, but allowing a head of water to build up behind, some of which was being diverted into some ducting leading to the neighbouring estate.

"This is your answer Lisbon, water rights are like gold dust with the drought conditions. Although the drought had eased after the winter snows melted, surprisingly the water flow had still not improved. Fulton must have suspected someone had interfered with the supply." Jane shifted his gaze to the viticulturist, who was shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Fulton had asked you to check the supply out, suspecting the stream may have been blocked by stones brought down from the hills during the melt. Initially he believed you when you said there was nothing wrong, but the suspicions persisted until eventually Fulton decided to check it out himself, and found the problem. He left the obstruction undisturbed as evidence for the authorities, and he tackled you about it on his return. Accusing you of taking a backhander from the Casa Fortuna Estate, he told you he was reporting the matter to the police and would make sure you never worked in the industry again. You couldn't let all those years of study and experience go to waste and in a moment of madness you picked up one of the tools and attacked him, killing him with a single blow to the head."

The viticulturist looked round at the Lisbon and the cops, "it's not true, I swear I never touched him."

Jane turned to Lisbon with a cheesy grin, "and that was how it was done, et voila we have water!" With a childlike exuberance, he pushed the top boulder away with his heel as his encore, and watched the water start to flow down. Unfortunately the boulder had been acting like a keystone, locking the other stones in place, and the whole structure disintegrated sending a torrent of water gushing down the channel catching both Lisbon and the unsuspecting cops below in the heady flow that over spilled the channel as the water escaped. Jane's smile turned into a nervous laugh, followed by a shrug when he saw Lisbon's mud splattered trousers, and three pairs of angry eyes focussed on him. Seeing the viticulturist starting to make his way down the hill, he pointed "...er Lisbon, look he's getting away."

Lisbon motioned to the officers to apprehend the retreating suspect, and they took chase after the younger fitter man who gave them a run for their money. They only caught up with him, when some people down below intervened and blocked his path.

Lisbon's anger was barely contained as she surveyed her soiled dress trousers and boots, she was already in her change of clothes, and hadn't got anything clean to change into before going back to the CBI. Jane's comment did nothing to ease her mounting ire. "Come on Lisbon look on the bright side, we caught the bad guy. Some days that's enough."

The only good thing was that they had wrapped the case up in good time and the local PD could sort out the rest. The case was closed and could be taken off their books, and for once no one had been upset, well apart from two rather wet officers.

* * *

The atmosphere in the car was distinctly chilly on the way back, so Jane feigned a diplomatic sleep hoping Lisbon may see the funny side of things when she had time to reflect on matters, but he wasn't betting on it.

The team from IA were already in the office when Lisbon returned, she knew they habitually did things like that to unsettle the teams under investigation. The mud on her clothes had dried now, so she quickly repaired to the washroom with a clothes brush to try and make herself as presentable as possible.

It was a real dilemma for Lisbon, she had no right to expect the team to lie to protect the unit, but in many ways it was in their own best interests to be economic with the truth. Cho had taken the lead by briefing Van Pelt and Rigsby on the possible consequences of the investigation, in the light of Haffner's warning. In many ways Lisbon had protected them by not divulging everything to them, the dossier files had been disclosed to Bertram so there was no comeback on that score. The only thing IA could question them about was the lack of backup at the crime scene. At times like this Cho appreciated how well Lisbon protected her team, he knew she would take full responsibility for the shortfallings of the operation, and would be the one who took the rap.

Unlike La Roche, the chief investigator Curtiss Spengler used a charm offensive to wheedle his way into the interviewee's psyche. Spengler started with Grace, who he clearly perceived to be the weakest link, though why he should assume that someone who had shot her fiancé would fall to pieces under questioning was beyond comprehension. His flattery of Grace's achievements and her burgeoning reputation as a computer expert fell on deaf ears, Grace knew exactly what he was doing. Working with Jane had made them all more aware of interview tactics, though they weren't normally sitting on this side of the table. Van Pelt calmly dealt with the questions giving nothing away and volunteering nothing.

Spengler had been forewarned about Cho, attempts at using silence as a means of breaking the suspect down had absolutely no affect on Cho, who just sat silently returning his interrogator's stare until Spengler felt impelled to break the silence. Even touching on past cases where there had been complaints cut no ice with Cho, his answers were concise and to the point.

Spengler wasn't unduly bothered by his apparent lack of progress, as it was Agent Lisbon he had in his sights, this was just a means of making her sweat as she waited. He wasn't even going to bother with that nut job Jane, he would concentrate on Lisbon.

"So Agent Lisbon, nice to meet you at last, your reputation precedes you." Spengler started politely.

"Likewise." Lisbon was composed and calm as they went through the formalities.

"You're aware of the reason for our investigation, you appear to have recklessly endangered your agents by not having proper backup." Spengler wasted no time trying to butter up Lisbon, he wanted to move this along quickly. "Your report is backed up by your agents, so there is no need to go through that, but the matter of negligence needs to be addressed. Additionally looking through the complaints filed against your unit, you seem to be unable to control your own team. Not to mention the DUI charge that was made against you. The team has only recently come back after a suspension for a covert operation that resulted in a fatal shooting."

"Of a corrupt FBI agent, who intended to kill us." Lisbon interjected.

"So you say, but he can hardly defend himself now he's dead. You were hiding a known felon who was on the run." Spengler leant forward in an attempt to intimidate her.

Lisbon leant back in her chair and smiled "She was under house arrest actually."

"Once more we only have your word for that." Spengler acknowledged she was a cool customer, he had heard she had a short fuse, so he would try and get her to bite."One has to wonder why your judgement is so compromised at times, that wouldn't be because you're sleeping with your consultant would it? "

Lisbon marvelled that he had moved to that line of attack so quickly, but she wasn't altogether surprised. "I see you've been reading the writing on the toilet walls again - have they learned how to do joined up writing yet?"

"Interesting that you don't deny it." Spengler observed, her composure was impressive.

"Why are you all so obsessed with a woman's sex life? What I do or don't do with my consultant outside of work is my business, and furthermore wouldn't actually be against the rules." She was damned if she would confirm or deny anything.

"Perhaps, but it does put your judgment and objectivity into question at times, even if we accept your contention, it could be viewed as unprofessional conduct. There is certainly a strong argument for splitting your team up, to see if anyone else can exert more control over Mr Jane." Spengler hoped the threat might unsettle her.

Lisbon merely smiled. "Good luck with that, there's not exactly an orderly queue lining up for that job."

"Alright, let's try a different tack. Why didn't you call for backup when you went to meet John Robie?" Spengler was starting to lose his patience a bit.

"There was no need. Robie was voluntarily giving himself up, no one outside the unit knew about it, so there was no reason to suppose he would be targeted. There were 4 armed agents present, and that should have been more than enough to fetch in one suspect. The question you should be asking is who tipped off the shooter? The call came into the CBI duty desk initially, it was a good hour later before I spoke to Robie. There was ample opportunity for someone to put a tracker on our vehicles or follow us from a distance, unless of course we were already under surveillance." Lisbon pointedly looked at Spengler.

"Or one of your team tipped off the shooter." Spengler countered.

"Hardly likely, as we were in the firing line." Lisbon really didn't like this guy. She knew it went with the territory, they weren't supposed to be likeable, but Spengler definitely had an agenda.

Spengler closed his note book. "Very well Agent Lisbon, that concludes our business for today, but be assured I will be back. I have to warn you that if we find you have a case to answer, suspension or even termination is likely."

Lisbon left the interview room with a very bad feeling about it all, she went straight to her office without stopping to talk to anyone. Cho and Grace followed her with their eyes, wondering what had happened. Jane's fingers were tapping restlessly as he watched from his vantage point on the sofa, he would let her have some time to get her thoughts together before venturing in.

Lisbon sighed heavily, she knew that her relationship would be brought up, and there was a valid point whether Jane comprised her judgement at times, though it was not an issue in this case. Jane's errant behaviour would always be used against her, but she was damned if some guttersnipe was going to tell her what she could do in her private life.

Lisbon didn't want Jane to start blaming himself, so she decided to just divulge the basics to him for now. However they needed to be more discrete, even if it was an open secret there was no need to fuel the fires at this juncture. Deciding there was no point moping round her office she ventured out to catch up with Cho, she caught Jane's eye looking anxiously in her direction and gave him a brief nod of encouragement, before checking on the status of a few loose ends that needed tying up. If a suspension was imminent, Lisbon wanted to clear the decks as much as possible beforehand, so Cho didn't have too much crap to deal with.

* * *

Cho paused outside the door of his flat, wondering what aromas of stale food were going to assault his senses this time. Rigsby's injured arm didn't affect his ability to use the phone and get food delivered. Cho got the distinct feeling Rigsby was indulging in all the things he had denied himself over the last few months in the interests of domestic harmony. It was bad enough standing round the greasy food stands so beloved by Rigsby, but with the limited ventilation in his flat, the stale aromas just permeated into the fabric of the place.

Wrinkling his nose in anticipation, Cho opened the door to see Rigsby's smiling face looking towards him eagerly. Judging by the bags of chips and beers already set out on the coffee table, it was "date" night again. Rigsby kept trying to rekindle their rookie days by selecting buddy movies for them to watch together. Cho had enjoyed Men in Black, but Dumb and Dumber and Wayne's World had been a step too far, Cho's enigmatic expression hid his real feelings, as Rigsby chortled away. Cho had to nip this in the bud, before Rigsby got too settled in.

"You ok today?" Cho enquired, hoping he would get the edited version. A simple ok would suffice, Cho really didn't need to know about every single ache or how the medication affected Rigsby's bowel movements, that was definitely TMI.

"Yes, much better today apart from..." Rigsby began.

"Good." Cho quickly interrupted. "Do you need anything before I go out? I'm meeting some guys for a drink after the gym."

Rigsby looked crestfallen, he hadn't considered that Cho had moved on, and was no longer exclusive. "There's some of your favourite take away in the fridge, I saved it for you." The hurt look in Rigsby's eyes was hard to ignore, but Cho resolved not to weaken. "Thanks Rigs, I may have it when I get back. Do you want me to pick anything up while I'm out?"

"No I'll be ok" Rigsby replied with an air of martyrdom.

Feeling a bit guilty, Cho picked up the latest DVD, silently counting his blessings that he was going out, but nodded his head approvingly. "Good choice Rigs you'll enjoy that."

After a quick change of clothes he swept in and out of the flat, feeling like he was being driven out for the sake of his sanity. At this rate he was going to be the fittest agent at the CBI.

It hadn't been like this with Jane, who had pretty much disappeared into the background, immersed in his latest book or lost in the music on his iPod. Jane had routinely taken refuge in his room, so that Cho had some space to himself and he wasn't in the way. In many ways Jane was a better fit as Cho's flatmate than Rigsby, who seemed determined to try and recapture their carefree buddy days. Jane had been there under sufferance, but Rigsby was in danger of getting way too comfortable and needy. He was acting like a spurned partner with the undeniable hurt in his eyes, when he realised Cho had a life of his own.

Cho couldn't even read in peace, without Rigbsy insisting on sharing some interesting fact from his collection of Fire Rescue Magazines that Sarah had packed in his suitcase. No guessing why those had been packed Cho wryly thought, he would willingly set fire to them himself.

Part of the problem was Van Pelt's reluctance to be left alone with Rigsby; she was happy to visit while Cho was there, but she'd seen Rigsby's puppy dog eyes following her, and didn't want him to get any ideas about re-kindling their affair. She was so over men at the moment, and was intent on concentrating on her career without any added complications.

So it was that most of the responsibility for keeping Rigsby entertained had fallen to Cho; Jane and the Boss were clearly wrapped up in each other at the moment, although they made a conscious effort to call Rigsby once a day for a chat and would pop in briefly on their way home some nights.

However in the end it would be Jane that proved to be Cho's saviour, when he turned up one Saturday morning with some property details in his hand. A property he had been looking at himself had just come back on the market, it was a 15 minute walk away from Sarah's house, and had a small second bedroom suitable for Ben. Jane even offered to take Rigsby there, and he sold the virtues of the property to Rigsby. The owner was willing to rent it out in the short term, with a view to a future sale. Before Rigsby knew what had happened, frankly that was all still a blur, he had signed a lease and felt Jane give him a sharp tap on the knee before proceeding to congratulate Rigsby on his new home.

Rigsby was still rubbing his knee distractedly when they got back to Cho's. Cho quizzically looked in Jane's direction, who just gave him a satisfied smile at a problem solved.


	24. Chapter 24: Twittering

**Chapter 24 -Twittering**

It wasn't unexpected when the axe fell, Lisbon was resigned to her two week suspension. Bertram had delivered the news like a disappointed parent forced to take action as the last resort . "Of course it gave him no pleasure to do this...but he really had no choice...he was only working on IA's recommendation...but the accumulation of offences coupled with the latest allegations were really too much to ignore."

Lisbon had largely blocked his voice out at this point, assuming the role of a chastened employee she meekly thanked him for his support, and proceeded to sort out her desk before reporting for processing.

The team stared stonily at Bertram as he left, not that it bothered him in the slightest. Lisbon had warned them to keep their heads down, and on no account did she want them putting their own careers on the line. It was inevitable that Jane would take no heed of any warnings, but she had told him there was no point them both being out of the loop, and Cho and Van Pelt needed him for backup.

The elevator doors were half closed when a late comer stuck their hand out to make them open again. Bertram shook his head resignedly, it was too much to expect that Jane would let this pass without comment. Jane stood beside him looking to the front. "It's really not fair to punish Lisbon for my faults, you know."

"Well Patrick, you should have thought about that earlier. The team leader is always ultimately responsible." Bertram responded matter of factly.

"Lisbon's got the best closure rate in the whole CBI, you know she's your best asset." Jane knew he would get nowhere with this but it gave him another opportunity to weigh up Bertram's intentions.

"Really Patrick, I'm surprised to hear you say that. I always assumed much of Lisbon's success was down to you." Bertram turned the tables on Jane nicely.

"Everything we achieve is testament to Lisbon's tenacity and perseverance, without all the preparatory work my job would be much more difficult." Unusually Jane tried to put the spotlight on the team effort.

"It's all very touching Patrick, but Lisbon had been warned. The department has a 'corporate' image to uphold, we're all expected to be 'on message'. It's all very unfortunate, but if someone can't adapt to what's expected of them, a parting of the ways is almost inevitable." Bertram's words were delivered in an almost regretful manner, he was a consummate performer.

"So what exactly is expected of us? I thought we were here to solve crimes." Jane challenged.

"How very old fashioned of you Patrick. The world is changing you're either with us or against us, there is no middle ground. Anyhow nothing is settled one way or another, we'll have to see what IA decide." Bertram was clearly enjoying messing with them, and Jane doubted IA would make the final decision. On paper there was nothing for Lisbon to answer for, but Bertram was playing cat and mouse with them to exercise his power. Jane really couldn't get a read on Bertram at the moment, he wasn't at all sure which way this would play out. The only hope was that Bertram might consider Lisbon easier to control if he brought her back into the fold, albeit with the threat of further sanctions being used to temper her actions.

However Bertram was seriously misreading the situation if he thought Lisbon would take this lying down, and that worried Jane. Freed from the constraints of the establishment Lisbon would almost certainly start to dig deeper, and there was nothing Jane could do about it while he was stuck at the CBI.

Jane returned to the bullpen, waiting for Lisbon to return to collect her personal things from her office. They had agreed to keep a professional distance in the office, not wishing to cause any further problems for Lisbon, but as a member of her team it was only natural they would interact over this. Jane scanned her face to see how she was taking things, as expected she maintained a composed facade, although the signs of stress were manifest in her clipped walking and thin lipped expression. He slipped into her office as she got her bag together and gently asked."You Ok?"

"Well I'm not exactly overjoyed at having to do the walk of shame again, but I'm damned if I'm going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing that." Lisbon saw the concern etched on his face. "Patrick just do what we discussed, the team is vulnerable they need your support. Rigsby will be back next week, but in the mean time just make sure you do whatever Cho needs."

Jane nodded acknowledging the wisdom of her words, cool heads were required and Lisbon would be on hand unofficially even if she couldn't work the cases. "So what do you have planned for the rest of the day - some pampering perhaps?"

A faint smile crossed Lisbon's lips, "I think I'm more in the mood for something cathartic." Jane guessed the punch bag at the gym might be taking a pounding, reflecting it was probably better that she channelled her frustration into anger, rather than letting it get on top of her.

Checking over his shoulder to ensure no one was looking, Jane took her hand and rubbed it with his thumb. "I'll bring some food over tonight about seven, try not to get into any trouble."

"It's usually me that says that," Lisbon shook her head at the irony of the role reversal. "Right, I'm ready to go. I'll just say goodbye to the team now."

Unpalatable as the situation was, it afforded Lisbon the opportunity to do some off the books research , she had absolutely no intention of wallowing in self pity, and would put her enforced absence to good use.

Although she had pretty much accepted Jane's argument that this was too big for them to handle, it didn't mean that she had to be completely passive. If they could just collate a body of evidence, with enough incriminating information for an independent agency to act on, then her time would be well spent. When the time came she would seek advice from Minnelli, he had contacts across all the agencies.

* * *

Cho went straight from the office to the gym for a short session on the weights; he had promised to take Rigsby out for a beer later that night, as Rigsby was moving out at the weekend. When Cho sat up for a brief respite in between lifts, he saw Haffner making a bee line for him, it was unlike him to be so direct.

"Cho, meet me in the changing rooms, I've got something for Lisbon." Haffner said rather breathlessly, he was clearly in a hurry.

When Cho finally made his way down to the changing rooms he found Haffner unconscious on the floor with, blood oozing from a nasty head wound. Cho called for the emergency services, and quickly let Rigsby and the rest of the team know what was going on. Haffner's bag and pockets had been rifled, so whatever he wanted to pass on had been taken. Cho's phone rang, it was Jason Cooper informing Cho that Visualise would take care of Haffner. Cho marvelled how quickly the news had got back to Cooper, presumably some of Haffner's Visualise buddies must have been at the gym.

* * *

Lisbon had been tracking Karen Cross' Cruz Missive twitter account for some weeks, there was a contestant stream of insinuations about the people mentioned in the dossiers.

Lisbon had set up her own twitter account a few weeks earlier under a pseudonym and had sent a few cryptic responses to Karen's tweets to send the feelers out. Judging by the equally cryptic replies she had caught Karen's interest. Lisbon wanted to set up a line of communication but Karen needed to bite first. Karen used the hashtag #nailed at the end of her messages and this had been adopted by people sympathetic to her views.

So Lisbon started her own stream of tweets using the same hashtag, drip feeding snippets of information. Eventually she got a direct message from Karen _. Interesting views you have there – have we met?_

Lisbon considered before she replied. _We have a mutual interest in a psychic phenomenon, though I can't hold a candle to your efforts._

Karen responded. _A candle? Interesting choice, tell me more_.

Lisbon quickly typed. _Let's just say we've both been hung out to dry._

Karen finished with. _I'm sure our paths will cross again soon._

* * *

Jane was anxious to find out how Visualise intended to deal with events, potentially the New Order posed a threat to their standing. Also it was always interesting to bait Stiles and see what could be learned.

"So Patrick dear boy, so nice to see you again. How the devil are you?" Stiles greeted him affably, Jane was one of the few people who genuinely challenged him.

"Brett you know full well why I've come to see you." Jane didn't bother beating about the bush.

"Yes, poor brother Ray took quite a beating. It's dangerous looking into matters that don't concern you , it's amazing what a pair of sparkling green eyes can do to a man's judgement." Stiles looked pointedly at Jane.

Ignoring the insinuation Jane continued."Really I thought everything concerned you Brett?"

"Well of course I like to know what is going on, information is useful currency where ever it comes from." Stiles acknowledged.

"Aren't you worried that your Visualise members in law enforcement will be targeted? Sooner or later you are either going to have to join forces with Bertram's men or retreat." Jane pushed the point to try and get a response.

"Ah yes, you know about that I see. Bertram has always been such an ambitious man, but he's more of a kingmaker than a leader. Nevertheless he's an effective operator and has always been so fond of Frances, they go way back." Stiles wasn't telling Jane anything he didn't already know.

"So Brett, what do you know about the New Order? " Jane tried in vain to elicit a straightforward answer from him.

"Patrick, you used to have so much more finesse, I fear Agent Lisbon's rather unsubtle approach is rubbing off on you. By the way what is she doing with herself at the moment ? So careless of her to get suspended again. Although from what I hear she's keeping herself occupied – now what do they call that stuff they do , twittering or something like that?" Stiles slipped out that snippet of information carelessly.

Jane froze at the thought that Lisbon was up to something he knew nothing about, if Stiles knew about it, he dreaded to think who else did.

"Ah, I see you didn't know that Patrick. Surprising that, especially as I'm told you're so close to her these days." Stiles taunted Jane.

"You should never listen to gossip Brett." Jane's offhand manner belied his consternation.

" Agent Lisbon doesn't know when to give in, and if she's not careful she'll meet with an unfortunate accident, and frankly I dread to think how you'll cope with another broken heart." Stiles was making his point with great effect.

"Is that a veiled threat Brett?" Jane's eyes darkened.

"Not at all my dear boy, personally the delightful Agent Lisbon's enquiries don't concern me. I'm rather fond of you Patrick, you amuse me, and I would hate to see you get hurt again." Despite Stiles light hearted manner, he was genuinely trying to warn Jane of the dangers.

* * *

Jane was in no mood to continue the conversation and bade farewell to Stiles, he needed to find out what Lisbon was up to and quickly.

Jane brought some groceries back to Lisbon's place and after a cooler than usual greeting, he turned his back on her as he started to unpack the shopping. Assuming that something had happened at work, Lisbon snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, but she was taken aback at the palpable tensing at her touch and quickly withdrew.

"What's up - something happen today?" Lisbon ventured warily.

Jane turned to face her, his lips pressed together and a frown on his face. "Maybe I should be asking you that - is there something you want to tell me?"

Lisbon had no idea why he was so angry and started to get defensive. "I've no idea what you're talking about, just spit it out Jane."

"I've just met with Brett Stiles, apparently it's common knowledge that you're conversing with Karen Cross on twitter." Jane responded coldly.

Lisbon was taken aback, crap how did they work that out? She was annoyed at being questioned about her actions, after all she was free to do what she wanted. "So what if I've posted some obscure tweets? You do things without asking me all the time, anyhow I didn't think anyone would know it was me. "

" I guarantee I could guess your identity in five minutes. For starters you would choose some iconic female character." Jane guessed Lisbon would be fairly predictable, imagination wasn't her strongest point.

"So what if I did, you'd never guess." Lisbon challenged, without any real conviction.

" Well it's not Miss Marple, unless she's started packing heat in her knitting bag. Lara Croft - well much as I'd like to see you in the outfit, it's not your style. Wonder Woman - way too sparkly. Oh please Lisbon, not Pepper Anderson that's way too obvious. No I think I can guess what you've chosen." Jane asserted with a touch of arrogance that riled Lisbon.

"No you can't." Lisbon glared defiantly at him.

"I'll write it down here." He passed a folded slip of paper to her. "Now just get up Karen's twitter page for me so I can see who is writing in to her."

Lisbon huffed," they don't write, they tweet." She passed her computer back to him, Jane scrolled down the list and just shook his head. "Really Lisbon it doesn't take much working out."

She snatched the paper and read what he had written down Peggy Carter. "How did you know?"

"Why do you still keep asking me that question? Anyhow the point is that if Visualise know what is going on, it won't take Bertram long to find out." Jane shook his head despairingly. Stiles warning had really got to him, he was really concerned that Lisbon was heading for trouble and would not listen to him.

After a fairly heated discussion they were no further forward, accusations flew backwards and forwards about Jane's inability to share and the argument was in danger of getting out of control, someone had to give way.

Jane grasped her arms none too gently. "Teresa please be careful, I couldn't cope if anything happened to you. I'm not even sure I'd want to cope again."

Lisbon could see the pain etched into his face, and her anger started to dissipate. She realised he wasn't trying to assert himself in telling her what she could do, this was real concern based on fear as his old demons came back to haunt him. She started to relent, "I honestly didn't think anyone would work it out Patrick. I'm not reckless, but you know I'm not going to just sit here while Bertram decides my fate. Maybe I started going about it the wrong way, but I've got to do something. Put yourself in my position what would you do?"

Jane couldn't honestly say he would do nothing, but they had to work a way forward that minimised the risk. "Look can we just discuss things beforehand. I know you don't have to, but please as a favour to me just run things by me first to see if I can see anything you might have missed. We need to play the long game Teresa, there will be no instant results this time."

* * *

 **A/N** \- A shortish filler chapter, not much time for anything else this week - hope it doesn't seem too rushed.


	25. Chapter 25 : Cryptic Clues

**Chapter 25: Cryptic clues**

Cho sighed as he observed the consultant throw down the cold case files in frustration. Jane stretched himself cracking his knuckles as if getting poised for action, it was obvious he was a bundle of nervous energy as he rocked back on his heels. Jane just couldn't settle while he was wondering what Lisbon was up to. It didn't go by unnoticed that Jane had been sending out texts at regular intervals, and judging by the raised eyebrows coupled with pursed lips, the incoming texts were hardly billet doux, in fact the responses were getting increasingly fractious. Cho shook his head ruefully; Jane wasn't exactly one for sharing, but he always needed to know what everyone else was doing. Cho figured Jane must be pushing Lisbon close to her limits.

Jane had read as many cold case files as he could tolerate. In the absence of anything else to engage his interest, his attentions turned to Van Pelt, who was now enduring the third degree about what she was up to outside of work these days. Cho's eyes were raised slightly from his papers, watching the encounter warily to make sure Jane didn't push Van Pelt too far.

"So Grace, you're looking very svelte and are brimming with confidence these days. Do I detect some romance in the air?" Jane probed teasingly.

Grace snorted derisively. "Who needs romance? I'm so done with that."

"You've got to learn to cut yourself some slack Grace. You won't be able to move on until you accept what happened wasn't your fault. After all loving yourself is the start of a lifelong romance." Jane pronounced with the new found smugness of someone who has just rediscovered lurve.

"Excuse me! Pot, kettle, black."Van Pelt said incredulously.

Jane shrugged unapologetically and continued with his teasing. "Oh come on Grace, spill the beans. I don't want to have to force it out of you."

Van Pelt was very evasive not wishing to bring her personal life into work anymore. She had established a new group of friends outside work, and was determined to keep her private and work life separate for a while. "There's nothing to force out Jane, so just mind your own business."

"Well that's as good as issuing a challenge." Jane muttered provocatively.

"I mean it Jane, drop it." Grace re-iterated.

"Guess I'll have to start on Cho then." Jane grumbled.

Grace just turned raised an eyebrow and answered. "Well good luck with that, Jane."

"Butt out Jane, leave us alone." Cho quietly said from across the room. Jane was being a right pain in the ass taking his boredom out on everyone else.

"Oh where's the fun in that?" Jane petulantly launched the paper plane he had been idly making in Cho's direction.

* * *

Cho picked up an incoming call and put the phone down with some relief, finally they had something to get their teeth into, after a few days of trawling over cold cases."We're up. Tahoe Park East by the university, 62 year old victim has been found dead, gunshot to the head."

From what they could gather, the police had been called in because an old student had been unable to get a response from the victim's house, and he had spotted the slumped body through the window. The ME had confirmed the cause of death and they were free to start their investigation of the crime scene. The case immediately appealed to Jane's sense of the ridiculous, the victim Paolo Scrivi was a renowned cruciverbalist and retired English professor. Scrivi freelanced for one of the more serious journals producing cryptic crosswords for their discerning readers.

Jane surveyed the scene approvingly taking in the studious interior, an unfinished crossword on the desk caught his attention. As Jane browsed through the desk it became apparent that Scrivi was carrying out some form of evaluation on puzzles from another eminent journal. There was a pile of printouts which Scrivi had meticulously solved, ticking off certain clues down the sides and scoring each crossword and adding a reference number.

Jane went through the piles of Scrivi's own crosswords, and recalling the reference numbers Scrivi had allocated to the puzzles Jane cross referenced the crosswords against each other. There was a remarkable degree of correlation between the two sets of puzzles, which could not be remotely construed as a coincidence. The clues were only fractionally different, but the frameworks were largely identical apart from some of the simpler link words.

Either Scrivi was selling the crosswords to more than one source, or someone was plagiarising Scrivi's work and making money off the back of his efforts. Jane guessed some rules of copyright might apply and wondered if Scrivi had been seeking some recompense from the culprit. Jane would need Van Pelt to go through Scrivi's computer to see whether that would throw up some more clues. It irked Jane that Lisbon was missing out on this, he could just imagine the fun to be had by teasing her with childish word play, his reward would be the rolling of her eyes and her struggle to keep a straight face. As she wasn't here Jane would just have to content himself with annoying Cho and Van Pelt with cryptic comments when they returned to the office.

Cho and Van Pelt were fully engrossed in some detailed research when Jane slipped a crossword on Grace's desk with 3 down and 10 across highlighted, and then he slipped out of the office with a satisfied smile on his face.

Cho looked up "Where's Jane gone?"

"Probably making tea. Oh wait a minute what's this?" Van Pelt picked up the crossword curiously.

Cho came over to look at the crossword and read the two clues.

 _It's black or white with grounds for disposal._

 _Well rounded breakfast_.

The erudite Cho just smirked. "Jane will be back soon. Hold the coffee for a while," he added knowingly. Sure enough Jane re-appeared carrying drinks and bagels by way of apology for his earlier behaviour. Cho just shook his head hoping the case wouldn't take long to crack, it was going to get very irritating if Jane carried on like this.

* * *

Part of the reason for Jane's good humour was the fact he had just found out Lisbon was presently engaged helping Rigsby with some shopping, ergo she was out of harm's way.

As everyone else was working flat out, and Rigsby still couldn't drive for a couple of weeks, Lisbon offered to help Rigsby with some of the shopping for his new flat. Retail therapy never appealed to Lisbon, and she just rolled her eyes at each must have gadget Rigsby picked up. She gently reminded him that they should concentrate on the basics in particular getting Ben's room sorted out. Lisbon was not particularly materialistic, preferring to wait until she could afford new things and she was taken aback at how easily Rigsby racked up his credit card debt. He chose to ignore her advice that Ben would be growing out of things shortly, and eschewed the simple practical designs in favour of the more upmarket options.

Food shopping was a real eye opener, Lisbon sent Jane an ironic text _I've put on 5lb just looking at the food trolley!_ Lisbon couldn't believe all the crap he was buying, healthy options were few and far between. Rigsby wasn't a foolish man, he had lived by himself for years before getting together with Sarah, so Lisbon guessed it was a reaction against all the compromises he had made over the last few months.

Lisbon was itching to get back to her research, but she felt duty bound to support Wayne and thereby protect Cho's sanity, who had his hands full baby sitting Jane.

Lisbon had figured that it would trigger too many alarms if she researched recent history, and decided to find out as much as she could about Rutherford and Bertram's early association in the hope of unearthing something they could work with. There was more than one way to skin a cat, and the indirect approach may provide unexpected dividends.

So far she had established that Rutherford and Bertram were contemporaries at Stanford, the former reading anthropology and the latter psychology. Perhaps there had been some overlap in their studies or they had just been naturally drawn together. Their privileged backgrounds and imposing height conveyed an impression of distinction, which may have caused them to gravitate towards each other.

Both had been active in student politics and had been well placed on several committees, then surprisingly there was no mention of Bertram after the first few years. That piqued Lisbon's interest, either there had been a parting of the ways or Bertram had decided to concentrate on his studies. Either way Lisbon intended to pick up on that line of enquiry at the earliest opportunity.

That evening as they sat down to their evening meal Lisbon outlined what she had found out so far. "Umm interesting." Jane said thoughtfully. "It may be worth trawling the news archives to see if anything happened that summer, it seems to have been a definite cut-off point. I'd look for unexplained or unsolved incidents anything that looks a bit out of the ordinary."

"Yes the Palo Alto Chronicle has some archives on line, I'll start there and then I might take a drive out to the Bay area, it would be nice to revisit my old hunting ground."Lisbon thought she may as well take advantage of this free time.

"I hope you won't be confiding in your old buddies at SFPD. We don't know how far Bertram's influence reaches. it would be foolish to assume that anyone is clean." Jane cautiously ventured.

"No, I was considering going round the university to try and get a feel of the place." Lisbon replied.

"Well why don't you wait to the weekend and we can do that together – you know worried parents doing some ground work." Jane grinned at her.

Lisbon raised her eyebrows and looked at him incredulously "Yeah, Like that's going to happen."

"Never say never my dear." Jane blithely replied, though the words were spoken in jest Jane snuck a sideward glance at Lisbon, and for a brief moment allowed himself to contemplate the possibility of a life together with all that entailed.

* * *

Van Pelt privately thought their time could be better spent than going off at a tangent on one of Jane's whims, when they were so short handed. Nevertheless she had managed to get into Scrivi's computer and had printed off the recent puzzles Jane had requested."This is what you asked for, though I've no idea what you hope to learn from them."

"So little faith Grace. Let the mind games begin." Jane settled down contentedly and he set his mind to the puzzle in hand.

Jane tended to treat most of their crimes as a puzzle, rather than being consumed by moral outrage he found it better to be detached, so that he was not blinded by preconceptions. There was no doubt his objectivity in the hunt for Red John had been seriously compromised at times; Jane wondered if he may have resolved that problem earlier had he not gotten so caught up with his emotions. He returned to the problem in hand; any crosswords published more than a couple of weeks before the murder were put to one side. Jane scoured the printouts rigorously until the faintest smile appeared on his face, he realised he had unearthed the motive for the crime if not the perpetrator as yet.

"Spit it out Jane, it's clear you know something." Cho demanded.

"It's obvious when you know what to look for, just read the main clues across." Jane passed two of the printouts over to Cho, with the apposite clues highlighted.

Cho nodded appreciatively, "so he was sending messages through the puzzles."

Van Pelt looked confused, Cho explained "see this clue ' _copy teacup lid'_ that means duplicate. The next one is more explicit ' _Pam is a girl - unfortunately that's been used before'._ "Van Pelt looked blankly at Cho.

"Plagiarism" Cho explained. "Combine that with the clue beneath ' _It could be disastrous when IOU runs out',_ and the message is loud and clear."

"Ruinous." Jane piped up for Grace's benefit. "In fact if you look at the puzzles for the last week they are full of subliminal messages that only one person would understand. We just have to determine who that person is."

Jane nestled down on his sofa content to leave the plodding detection to Van Pelt and Cho, it shouldn't take long to establish who the copyist was, and then they could finalise the case against the perpetrator.

There was little Jane could do in the meantime, so he settled down to contemplate their trip to Palo Alto that weekend and hypothetically let his mind drift into uncharted territory.

* * *

A/N This is the best my cold addled brain could come up with this week, couldn't cope with anything too complex. The crossword story line is based on the real life crossword scandal making the headlines.


	26. Chapter 26 : Flying too close to the Sun

**Chapter 26: Flying too close to the Sun**

It was undeniably an exquisite setting, but the campus at Stanford was a world away from Lisbon's more utilitarian education experience. The state university she attended had served its purpose, but there had been no room for fripperies; it was all about delivering a cut price but perfectly sound education. Lisbon had to supplement her studies by waitressing part time to make ends meet, her social calendar revolved around the shifts at O'Brien's. Although her aunts and uncles had helped where they could, they had families of their own and could offer little in the way of financial support. The fact that they helped keep an eye on the boys while Lisbon went to college, was all that she could really ask of them.

A graduate of the school of hard knocks Lisbon took nothing for granted, and made the most of the opportunities presented to her. There were no gap years or road trips for the young Lisbon. Vacations were spent earning money to see her through the next year, and looking out for the boys when she wasn't working. In typical Lisbon fashion she accepted it all without rancour; it was just what life was.

Considering the circumstances of her upbringing, Lisbon thought herself lucky to have been able to better herself. There was no resentment that she had missed out on the highfalutin experiences these students enjoyed; her debating society was with the regulars at O'Brien's; their discussions may not have hit the esoteric heights of those of their Stanford counterparts, but they were based on the reality of everyday life rather than some notional hypothesis.

Lisbon just played the cards she had been dealt and got on with life, and that had pretty much summed up her attitude to work as well. For sure there had been things she didn't like, and she was never backwards in voicing her opinion, but never being prone to introspection Lisbon just did the best job she could in the circumstances, without worrying about what might have been. To Lisbon the manicured lawns and honey stoned buildings of this place of learning were like the Disney Land version of a university, it just wasn't real to her, it wasn't her world.

Jane half guessed what she was thinking, as she silently contemplated their surroundings. A gentle squeeze of her hand was rewarded by a smile and a return to a more businesslike approach.

"Do you ever regret not having a formal education Patrick?" Lisbon ventured.

"It's hard to regret what you've never experienced, and in truth I'm not sure formal education would suit someone like me, I'd be a square peg in a round hole. It's more than likely I would have dropped out, bored by having to work within the confines of narrow boundaries. I like to think I've learnt more in the University of Life than I would ever do in an establishment like this. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved Charlotte to come somewhere like this, but it's not for me." It was rare for Jane to mention Charlotte so openly; Lisbon detected a wistful look in his face as he said it, and she held on to his hand tightly as they made their way to the visitor centre.

Ignoring Jane's suggestion that they pose as prospective parents, Lisbon had contacted media relations under the guise of being freelance writers doing research. They had been granted temporary library passes to allow them access to the archives. Needless to say Lisbon had done her homework, and had already identified a couple of incidents in the relevant time line that warranted further investigation.

Jane paused for a quiet chat with the librarian, who was a veteran of forty years service. He attempted to elicit as much anecdotal information as he possibly could, leaving Lisbon to concentrate on the task of researching the basic facts. One thing that became immediately apparent was that for some reason Bertram had taken a year out before finishing his studies, and had ended up graduating a year behind Rutherford. While Rutherford had maintained a high profile throughout her tenure, there was little mention of Bertram after his early years.

Delving deeper into the societies that Bertram had been associated with, Lisbon took note of the names of fellow members for future reference. Lisbon already had a good idea what she was looking for based on her preparatory research. Following further examination of the Varsity Newsletters, she was soon able to correlate some of the names of Bertram's associates with those mentioned in the news articles, and eventually a more complete picture of events started to emerge.

A hazing tradition at the Icarus Society, of which Bertram was a prominent member, had backfired with tragic consequences. An aspirant candidate for membership had been tied up and left in a compromising position as part of his initiation, but unknown to those involved he had a rare insect sting allergy. Unable to access his adrenaline pen when he was bitten, he had gone into anaphylactic shock and was found dead by the unsuspecting girls who had been sent in to compound his embarrassment. The news articles revealed that not long after the incident, one of the committee members had apparently taken his own life in a fit of remorse.

Lisbon conveyed the bare facts to Jane over a mid morning beverage, prompting Jane to engage once more with the librarian in order to try and elicit further information, fortunately she was flattered by the attention and not averse to a spot of gossip either. Lisbon just shook her head in amusement, as she watched the old fraud lean in toward the librarian conspiratorially and work his charms on her.

The librarian was putty in his hands and was a veritable fount of information, as she remembered both incidents well. There had been rumours at the time that the hazing victim's cries for help had been ignored, but the committee members closed ranks, and with the help of some friends in high places the incident was largely glossed over. Although for the sake of appearances, the ringleaders had been told to defer for a year and keep a low profile thereafter.

The suicide had been investigated by the police as the ME had expressed doubts about the incident. The victim Gary Leach had apparently taken drugs before slitting his wrists. It was noted the cuts had been well placed and deep; exsanguination would have been swift. The ME expressed reservations whether the knife found at the scene had been capable of inflicting such clinically precise wounds. Given the high profile nature of the case, all concerned were happy to take the easy option of suicide, and sweep the scandal under the carpet.

The librarian recommended that they talk to Hugo Adler if they wanted to find out more, he had been part of the society at the time, but on completion of his course he had eschewed a lucrative private career in favour of working in probation services in San Francisco.

* * *

It didn't take long to track Adler down, and after some initial resistance, countered by a few veiled words from Jane, Adler was finally coerced into meeting them later that afternoon. The careworn appearance of the man waiting for them in the park belied his auspicious start in life. Whether it was penance for his misspent youth or a genuine calling, Adler had a world weary look about him after years of fighting the system to do the best for his charges.

"Why the sudden interest in this after all these years? I told the other guy everything I knew." Adler started wearily.

"Who exactly was the other guy?" Jane replied sharply, he hadn't expected that.

"Said he was a representing a client's interests, he had grey hair and eyes and was around 6ft tall. There was a slight New York accent if I'm not mistaken." Working in probation services Adler was used to making quick assessments of people's appearance.

"What did he want to know?" Jane persisted, not bothering to sugar coat the questions.

"Why the hell should I tell you that? I've no idea who you are and have no particular wish to revisit that time." Adler responded brusquely.

Lisbon intervened, a more subtle approach was appropriate at this time. "We appreciate you agreeing to meet us, and realise it may be wakening memories you would rather forget, but if you can help us with our enquiries we will be out of your hair. Now, what can you tell us about the Icarus Society and what happened with the hazing?"

Adler sighed heavily. "It's pretty much as reported, no-one knew about the allergy, we were just kids messing around. There was absolutely no intent to harm anyone."

"But still a young man died." Lisbon said softly. "We've heard rumours that his cries for help went unheeded, what can you tell us about that?"

Adler focused on some distant object and set his lips in a thin line, as he ruefully recalled the events of that day. "We didn't know there was a problem. You have to understand a hazing is meant to test the character, and when we heard his cries we just thought he was being a bit of a wuss. As they got a bit more desperate a few of us wanted to check up on him, but we were told to ignore it."

"Do you always do what you are told?" Jane interjected.

"Not anymore." Adler replied sadly.

Lisbon glared at Jane, and continued her gentle line of questioning. "So I guess you were all racked by guilt at what had happened?"

"Well some more than others. The hard core members were more intent on protecting themselves; they insisted we all hold the line, and deny we had heard his cries for help. A few of us were most unhappy with the situation, but it was made clear to us it was in our best interests to stick together." Adler's guilt at his part in proceedings was etched on his face.

"I assume that would be Bertram who put the pressure on?" Lisbon pressed her case.

Adler nodded slowly, reluctant to word the accusation.

Jane stepped in again adopting a more conciliatory tone. "So Leach was racked with guilt and wanted to break ranks and confess. How did that go down?"

"Not well." Adler replied, with a degree of understatement. "You have to understand these young men saw themselves as future leaders, they could not afford for that information to come out."

"Did Leach seem at all suicidal to you?" Jane was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

"I can't say he did, but he was a determined character once he had set his mind to something. He wasn't easily swayed by the arguments." Adler stared distractedly at his feet.

Being more cognisant with the case detail, Lisbon took over again. "You know the ME had doubts about the weapon at the crime scene being the one used to inflict the wounds? If you follow that train of thought through, the implication is that there was a third party involved."

Adler started to get a bit agitated. "Look it's just speculation, all I can say is that no one suggested coming clean again after that. I know nothing beyond that, but there were some very ambitious men around, who had no intention of letting their careers be wrecked. Why is all this resurfacing at this stage anyhow?"

"There are serious questions being asked at this moment, if anyone else asks you about it I would deny all knowledge. It's probably in your own interests to lie low at this stage. I'm sorry to have to bring this all back to you after all these years." Jane felt a degree of empathy with the man, he understood all too well how reckless actions could backfire, and Adler had clearly done his best to repay his debt to society.

* * *

Jane had been very quiet in the car on the return journey as he tried to make sense of the day's findings, and attempted to fathom out how they fitted in with the bigger picture. "We never found out why Haffner was attacked, I can't help wondering what he wanted to tell you. Didn't he make reference to Clyde's identity at some stage?"

"I did try to visit Ray, but the hospital said he had been discharged into a Visualise clinic, and I couldn't find out anymore than that. It did strike me from Adler's description, that the other interested party could well be Haffner." Lisbon frowned as she considered the implications of it all.

"Stiles would know about this, it would be unlike him not to have something up his sleeve in case things go awry. He was typically evasive when I met him, but I don't doubt he has all options covered." Jane wasn't too concerned about Visualise at this juncture, as their interests were presently aligned.

"What do you think we should do with this information, it doesn't prove anything other than lack of judgement? Although those findings on the suicide were interesting, especially if Leach had tried to break rank and was silenced. Maybe we should try and track down the other committee members and see if anyone breaks." Lisbon still had a week of her suspension left and could put it to good use.

"No, that's far too dangerous to do by yourself." Jane insisted, trying not to over react for fear of Lisbon digging her heels in. "But we could start by finding out about them, and decide what to do from there. If they have fulfilled their career expectations, the very rumour of misdeeds may be enough to threaten their positions; we could exert pressure by just dangling snippets of information before them. It probably wouldn't take much for one of them to turn on Bertram. There's no urgent deadline to this, let's be patient and cover all angles before we make a move."

* * *

Cho had a Zen like calm about him after an evening of uninterrupted peace and quiet, he had finally been reunited with his beloved novels. If he had pulled out his copy of Shirley in Rigsby's presence, there would have been hoots of derision. Finally he had been able to immerse himself in the trials and tribulations of the phlegmatic mill owner, without the prospect of being interrupted with the details of the latest arson scam.

Rigsby looked happy to be back at work, although he was still limited to desk duty at the moment, but that freed up Van Pelt to go back out in the field.

Jane approached Cho's desk, tapped it lightly and said "A tacit retreat in ten."

Cho's lips quirked, but he kept his eyes down on the report he was reading, contenting himself with a simple reply. "Roger."

Rigsby turned to Grace "What does all that mean?"

"It's the crossword case; they've been talking in riddles for the last few days. You explain Cho." Grace said impatiently.

"Jane just needs to talk." Cho replied without further explanation.

Rigsby was none the wiser, just assuming it was Jane being Jane. "OK, so what does Roger mean?"

"Roger." Cho smiled enigmatically.

"What sort of clue is that?" Rigsby turned to Van Pelt.

Grace just muttered, "better to get used to it Wayne, it's turning into Pseud's corner round here."

Cho made his way to the attic, wondering what was so important that it couldn't wait. Jane had long since cleared the attic of all things pertaining to Red John, but he still came up here when he needed solitude, and on the rare days when the black dog returned. Lisbon knew he occasionally needed that time to himself, and she never brought the subject up. In deference to his feelings, she rarely went in the attic giving him the space he needed to come to terms with things. The makeshift bed had been dismantled, but the chair and desk, together with tea making facilities remained. Jane had just finished scanning for bugs when Cho arrived.

"What's so top secret then?" Cho demanded.

"We found some interesting things out at the weekend, and it occurred to us that we still don't know if anyone knows Clyde's real name yet. We think it may be relevant and may explain why Haffner was attacked. I know we're officially off the heist case, but thought you might be able to find something out without involving the rest of the team." Jane knew he could trust Cho to be discrete.

"I'll see what's logged on the system, but bear in mind it's not necessarily going to be undoctored information, especially if they think we are on to them." Cho folded his arms as he considered potential ways forward.

Jane acknowledged Cho's reservations."I understand, but this is a real long shot. It's possible they don't consider we would ever make the connection, and would think they have nothing to hide. Lisbon has tried to contact Haffner herself, but Visualise have closed ranks around him and won't let anyone in."

Cho nodded. "I'll see what I can find out but we're pretty much ostracised round here – there are no favours left to call in."

"Look I know you're always careful Cho, but be very wary how you deal with this. If we are correct in our suspicions, this has the potential to bring Bertram down, and he and his cronies will try and take us down if they see the threat coming." Jane's expression conveyed the very real fears he had about moving forward on this, but he knew he couldn't stop Lisbon pursuing this, and the best he could do was manage the situation.


	27. Chapter 27 : Girl Power

**Chapter 27 – Girl Power**

With the elections looming the candidates were stepping up their campaigns, Rutherford had been polling well across all demographics with her calm message of collective responsibility. Such was the cynicism about politicians, that voters were abandoning the traditional parties in droves, citing their vested interests and failed policies as the reason for defection. Rutherford maintained her sangfroid under the intense media scrutiny, rarely putting a foot wrong. The media were finding it hard to land a punch on her as she came from a place of cool logic, her rhetoric, such as it was, was underpinned by sound reason. The absence of any political hinterland undoubtedly helped, as no one could nail her on her past record.

The opposing candidates were well aware of the comparatively easy ride Rutherford was having, and accusations were being levied against some of the media moguls that they were trying to influence the outcome of the election.

Lisbon had heard that Rutherford was addressing a conservation rally on the management of natural resources. The recent drought conditions were easing, as the El Nino fuelled storms had brought significant snowfall to the Sierra Nevada region earlier in the year, and in the ensuing melt many of the reservoirs had started to get back to their normal levels. It was hard to sell a message of conservation when some areas of northern California had experienced such heavy storms, but Rutherford determined to relay her message of restraint because the ground water levels were still severely depleted in some areas.

It was a fairly low key rally that would engender little news coverage, but it would bolster Rutherford's image of being on the right side of the argument, regardless of whether or not it was a popular stance. Lisbon had donned her usual disguise of a floppy hat and sunglasses, and she hung around at the back of the gathering observing Rutherford's performance.

Lisbon sensed someone close behind, but she resisted the urge to turn round, opting to wait for the loiterer to reveal themselves. A familiar female voice begrudgingly pronounced, "I hate to admit it, but she really is quite impressive. On face value it's hard to fault her." It was unmistakably Karen despite the casual attire and baseball cap; the smart suits of the slick talk show host were a thing of the past.

"Karen, what a surprise." Lisbon remarked drily.

"Oh come on, you're getting as bad as Patrick these days. So what's up Peggy?" Karen reverted to Lisbon's twitter handle with a touch of irony.

Lisbon deadpanned her. "Just doing some reconnaissance, while Captain America is stuck in the office saving the universe."

Karen chuckled, starting to appreciate Lisbon in her own right, and not just as Jane's appendage. "Somehow I've never pictured Patrick as a superhero. I heard you'd been canned again - still I'm sure you're learning there are some advantages to being off the radar. Working by the rule book isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"If that were true I'd be happy, but I'm afraid our recent exchange on Twitter didn't go by unnoticed, so I wouldn't take anything for granted." Lisbon cautioned.

"Look, why don't you come to our apartment and we can talk properly. We've moved to a ground floor flat to make it easier for Jennie. Catch the bus just over there, and get off after two stops, we're in the building right opposite the bus stop. We'll buzz you in when you arrive. I'm going to shoot now, but I'd wait half an hour as a precaution, we'd be happy to see you." Karen was keen to exchange ideas with Lisbon and knew that Jennie would appreciate the company.

"Ok. I'll make sure I haven't got a tail before doing anything." Lisbon welcomed the opportunity to compare notes. She contemplated calling Jane, but couldn't see what harm it would do just talking to them, and anyhow she was looking forward to seeing Jenny again.

* * *

The final interviews on the crossword case had been wrapped up, and the file had been referred to the prosecutors, it seemed a clear cut case. Jane had been on exemplary behaviour, not wishing to add to Cho's problems. The pair had carried on with their verbal wordplay right to the bitter end much to the annoyance of Van Pelt, who's more technical mindset struggled with the vagaries of the cryptic clues. She had found their interplay frustrating, and a tad condescending when they had to spell out the answers to her. Van Pelt hated feeling stupid and fell back on geek speak to re-assert the fact that she was more than a glorified clerk, they needed her skills neither of them being in any way technical. Not that Cho or Jane were actually remotely chauvinistic, but Van Pelt felt the need to make her point that her cyber analytical skills were an essential part of their toolkit.

They were back to the mountain of cold cases, and Jane's mind was starting to drift again as he wondered what Lisbon was doing. Cho hadn't had time to look into the heist case as yet, but he promised to explore a few avenues later in the day. Jane lay on his sofa putting the case files to one side as he contemplated what they knew so far. Who had commissioned the heist and why? Why had Gomez and Clyde been hunted down? Where did Visualise fit into all this?

Jane heard approaching footsteps, too light for Rigsby but purposeful and brisk. "Yes Cho?" he said enquiringly without looking up.

Cho took it all in his stride, he was used to Jane by now. "I may have some news for you."

"Oh do tell." Jane indolently stretched out affecting disinterest just in case they were being watched.

"Well, you know Rigs and I have bit of an ongoing feud with Selby's team. They revived the Bert and Ernie thing when Rigsby stayed with me, and of course them taking over the heist case hasn't helped foster good relations either. Anyhow there's been a series on ongoing wagers as we rag each other, so I just commented that they hadn't made any progress on the case since we handed it over, and that they didn't even know who the Clyde really was. Needless to say Selby couldn't resist the lure of some easy cash, and he took the bait. Naturally I lost the wager, but I did get the name out of him. By the way you owe me 50 bucks."

A slow smile crept across Jane's face, impressed by Cho's ingenuity. "No worries, I'll win that back from them with interest by the end of the day. So my inscrutable friend, are you going to put me out of my misery or do I have to guess?"

Cho raised his eyebrows "You know?"

"Let's just say I can make an educated guess at the surname." He wrote a name down and passed the slip of paper to Cho.

Cho pursed his lips as he read the name, and was somewhat bemused why Jane had asked him to find this out if he already knew. "So what's it all about then?"

"Just a hunch but he would have a very good reason to hold a grudge against Bertram, and may have stumbled across information he could use in the course of the break in. My guess is that he didn't know what they were looking for at the outset, but when he actually examined the data he realised he could use it to finally settle some old scores. If you're stopping by Claire's tonight why don't you pop in for a beer, and we can discuss it in more detail."

Cho shifted awkwardly "I'll take a rain check on that."

" Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" Jane teased.

Cho never discussed his private life, "something like that" he muttered evasively.

Jane swung his legs round with renewed vigour and sat up, this was too good to let go."Ooh she hasn't tried to make an honest man of you has she?"

"Just butt out Jane." Cho said more in hope than expectation.

"Doesn't your mother approve? Surprising considering how much they'd have so much in common..." Jane was merciless when he got his teeth into something.

"Jane..." Cho growled.

"You could always adopt I suppose." The consultant was relishing Cho's discomfort.

"Look it's not like that, she made a move on Rigsby when he was staying with me." Cho gave up, it would come out sooner or later. Cho initially glared as Jane dissolved into laughter, but soon followed suit himself and started to shake with silent laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. Jane tried to pull himself together, but one look at Rigsby set him off again.

"I've never seen Rigsby so scared in his life, he was cornered in the kitchen holding a chair in front of him when I came home." Cho sniggered, as he watched Jane convulsed with merriment."Did me a favour really, killed two birds with one stone."

"Oh this is going to be so much fun." Jane wiped a tear away and glanced in Rigsby's direction. The big guy guessed he was the subject of the conversation and stared stonily at his desk.

Cho smirked as he continued, "Rigsby couldn't wait to move out, and now when he irritates me I just threaten to give Claire his new address. It's a foolproof way to kill a conversation."

Jane sauntered over to sit on the edge of Grace's desk, Rigsby tried to avoid eye contact and shuffled the papers on his desk. "So Grace, it's back to boring cold cases now that we've put that case to bed. Let me leave you with one last teaser because I know you'll miss them. 6 letters ends with a Y - ' _I can resist anything except temptation.' '_ I'm sure Wayne can help you if you struggle. Now it must be time for a cup of tea." Jane wandered off, leaving Grace looking perplexed at a red faced Rigsby. "Wayne?" Grace said enquiringly.

"Close but no cigar." Jane shouted over his shoulder as he left the bullpen.

* * *

Lisbon was disturbed to see Jennie looking so wan and emaciated, she had clearly suffered another relapse. Lisbon knew the nature of her condition was unpredictable, and she couldn't help but notice the wheelchair in the corner was a new addition. At least with the ground floor flat Lisbon hoped Jennie got out more and had some contact with the outside world, otherwise it could be suffocating being wholly reliant on Karen. Some of the sparkle had definitely gone out of Jennie's eyes, but she was undeniably pleased to see Lisbon, and a grin broke across her face when Lisbon handed her the small box of Swiss truffles that she had picked up from the shop by the bus stop.

"Now that's the way to get to a girl's heart." Jennie said approvingly. Lisbon could see a small look of hurt pass across Karen's face; close as they were the situation was bound to make them rub each other up the wrong way from time to time. Lisbon would have happily offered to visit Jennie, but both she and Karen knew it wouldn't pay to advertise their connection.

"So how's the devilishly debonair Mr Jane?"Jennie quizzed Lisbon, hungry for some outside news.

"Driving everyone up the wall at the moment with his latest obsession." Lisbon described the crossword case and Jane's childish delight in teasing everyone. "Honestly he's just a big kid at times, I swear Van Pelt is itching to deck him if he carries on like this."

Jennie and Karen both chuckled. "Still can't help showing off can he?" Karen had seen the showman in him first hand. They guffawed as Lisbon recounted how he had soaked her at the vineyard, and she extracted every ounce of comedy out of the story. Karen smiled gratefully at Lisbon as she watched Jennie's face light up with amusement.

When Karen left them alone to get some drinks, Jennie pulled Lisbon in conspiratorially."The pressure is starting to get to her. It's too much for her looking after me, and trying to do her own thing at the same time."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have it any other way Jennie. Besides things may calm down after the elections, there's only a couple of weeks to go. Look, I'll give you my burner number, if you ever want to talk just call me." Lisbon said supportively.

Karen looked suspiciously at them when she came back with the drinks, she was undeniably proprietorial about Jennie. Recognising the look, Lisbon sought to placate her."I've just given Jennie my burner number as a backup. Same goes for you Karen, if you need help with anything just call me."

The time had come to shift the conversation to more serious matters, Lisbon started cautiously. "So what do you really make of Rutherford, I can't make the situation out myself. Is she for real or just a front?"

Karen stretched back in her chair weighing up Lisbon carefully before finally replying. "A bit of both I think. She probably does believe most of what she says, you can't fake that conviction without slipping up at some stage, but in her desire to implement her hypothetical solutions, she turns a blind eye to what the people around her are doing. Possibly she thinks she can bring them in line when she gains a foothold, but she is sadly mistaken in thinking that the people who have tagged along for the ride, aren't going to want some payback in the future."

"But isn't that always the case with politicians, wouldn't they all sell their Grannies for votes?" Lisbon wondered if Rutherford was any worse than the rest.

"Their influence has been working its way through the system for years; they've only really got a grip on things the last couple of years to the point where it's become noticeable. It's not just law enforcement; all elements of local and State Government are affected, there are elements in education seeking to pervert the opinions of the young in their formative stages.

"Rutherford's message isn't so pure by time its filters down the tree; the ideology of working together for the common good is subverted into a you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours culture. Cronyism abounds and those outside the network get squeezed out. The good and talented will leave, and eventually the gene pool will be reduced to mere apparatchiks of the system, and those without the talent or connections to move on. It's insidious the way it silently progresses, taking a stranglehold on the very machinery of government." Karen painted a gloomy picture of the state of affairs, coming from someone else Lisbon may have dismissed it as sensationalism, but she respected Karen's keen intelligence, and could tell Karen was deadly serious.

"So what can we do about it?" Lisbon knew they couldn't just ignore it, she recalled the Burke quotation. ' _The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'_

"We need to stop Rutherford for starters, we can't let them get a foothold. It's not a battle for the faint hearted, we have to be prepared to fight dirty." Karen paused, coolly assessing Lisbon before proceeding further. "You realise that will probably mean the dismantlement of all you hold dear, the CBI is beyond redemption. The only way is to tear it down and start again, and then slowly work through the rest of the system. Are you really prepared to get your hands dirty Teresa?"

Lisbon had already assumed that when they presented their case to the outside agencies, the edifice of the CBI would crumble, but she needed to know how far Karen wanted to take it. There were limits as to what she was prepared to do, and she sensed Karen didn't always consider the consequences of her actions on the innocent people caught in the crossfire. Karen had a very black and white view of affairs, and wasn't particularly bothered about collateral damage.

A fairly frank exchange ensued; Karen revealed some surprising information, and Lisbon felt obliged to reciprocate with some of their findings, which in turn lead to an invaluable nugget of information that she couldn't wait to share with Jane.

On the way home Lisbon started to have misgivings about telling Karen so much, wondering if she'd been suckered in by Karen's apparent willingness to share. Lisbon consoled herself that another piece of the jigsaw was now in place, and they could start to move forward again.

* * *

Van Pelt casually looked down at the alert on her phone."Hey guys, this latest tweet from The Cruz Missive sounds interesting, wonder if this means Bertram?"

Jane's head shot round sharply, why did he not like the sound of this? He joined the others at Van Pelt's desk as the read the message.

 _'Does Rutherford's right hand man remember the hazy days of the summer of 83? #NewOrder'_

"Oh Lisbon..." he growled in frustration.

"What's up Jane?" Van Pelt could tell he was concerned.

"You women never know when to let things drop." Jane muttered angrily.

Van Pelt was decidedly miffed by his assertion, thinking he was addressing the comment to her. "What, can't you handle a bit of girl power? Seems to me that most of the messes we are in were caused by men, so why not give it a try?" She gathered her things together, and made her way out the office.

"Grace, I didn't mean it that way.." Jane's voice tailed off as she disappeared round the corner.

"Guess Geeky Spice didn't appreciate that line Jane." Cho remarked drily.

"No, and I've still got Grumpy Spice to deal with later on." Jane grimaced at the thought of that encounter.

* * *

 **A/N** Think I may have gone a bit off piste in this chapter.


	28. Chapter 28 :The Ministry of Flimflammery

**Chapter 28: The Ministry of Flimflammery**

Lisbon bit her lower lip apprehensively when she heard the key turn in the lock. It wasn't that she thought she had done anything wrong in particular, but she had been taken aback at the alacrity with which Karen had exploited their private conversation.

Lisbon felt like a mark; their genuine exchange of views had lulled Lisbon into viewing Karen as a co-conspirator, and she hadn't felt it necessary to invoke the off record rider to any information that passed between them. In retrospect Lisbon was kicking herself for letting her guard down, but Karen had at least given them a valuable lead.

A whole range of emotions had passed Lisbon by when she first saw Karen's tweet, initially there was a wave of anger at the blatant exploitation, followed by embarrassment at being suckered, quickly followed by trepidation at Jane's response and then finally rebellion against having to justify her actions.

Jane had been weighing up his response as he drove home, putting his initial irritation to one side he rationalised that no long term damage had been done, but he it still irked him that Lisbon had put herself in this position. Lisbon was such an independent character that he knew she would fall back on a defensive position if he tackled her about it, and she could rightly counter that he was being hypocritical. It was nothing worse than he had done many a time without consulting Lisbon, but he had hoped they had got past this stage after their last discussion.

Jane came in quietly exchanging a quick smile as he put his things on the coffee table, deciding to let Lisbon lead and see where the conversation took them. Reading his mood Lisbon started. "It's obvious you've worked out that I've been talking to Karen. I know I was naive, but I never thought she would use that information in the public domain."

Raising an eyebrow incredulously Jane struggled to keep his tone neutral. "Really Lisbon? You should know Karen is a political animal by now. She'd exploit anyone for a good story. Just because you've seen her softer side in her domestic environment, doesn't mean she's changed. Leopards never change their spots. People routinely compartmentalise their home and work persona; the most doting parent can be an absolute tyrant in the workplace."

Part of Lisbon railed against having to justify her actions. "I admit I hadn't expected that, but how often do your hunches backfire? Sometimes you just have to feel your way, and then deal with the consequences. After all I've had to live with the consequences of your actions since I've known you – maybe it's time the boot was on the other foot."

It was all undeniably true, Lisbon had covered his back for years, Jane continued cautiously. "Guilty as charged, but this is a whole different situation."

"What different from tackling a serial killer and recklessly risking your own life?"Lisbon put up a spirited fight.

"I'm not that person any more, we had an understanding Teresa. I'm certainly not telling you what to do, but didn't we agree to discuss things?" Jane tried a more conciliatory approach.

"It's not always practical to discuss everything, sometimes you just have to trust my instincts, and if they're occasionally off you just have to live with that."Lisbon knew Jane often threw red herrings into the mix to flush out the right answer, she had just followed her gut instinct.

"Point taken." Jane conceded, not wishing this to escalate, he had the distinct feeling Lisbon was waiting to pounce on him if he pushed the issue further. "Look on the bright side, the law of unintended consequences can often throw up some unexpected leads. We may not have chosen to do this, but it will be interesting to see what the reaction is."

Lisbon nodded accepting his offer of a truce. "Well on the plus side I know who Clyde is now."

"Yeah, John Leach, the suicide victim's brother." Jane finished her sentence for her.

Lisbon's face fell, "How do you know that?"

"Much as I'd like to tell you it was good old fashioned police work, I'm afraid it was sneaky underhand manipulation by Cho. That boy's got real talent, he's coming along nicely." Jane added slyly, knowing it would wind Lisbon up.

"Jeez, I've only been gone ten days and they're all dancing to your tune." Lisbon dreaded to think what he had got them doing in his absence.

"I hate to disillusion you my dear, but they've been dancing to my tune for years. However in this instance it was entirely Cho's idea. I prefer to think of him as the wizard's apprentice rather than a follower of the Pied Piper." Jane opined in his best supercilious manner that was designed to inflame a response.

"Only because I choose to let them." Lisbon retorted.

"Whatever you like to think sweetheart." There was a twinkle in Jane's eyes, but that didn't stop Lisbon launching a cushion at him. "Owey! I'm seriously thinking of referring this abuse to my union."

"What the Ministry of Flimflammery?" Lisbon snarked.

"You wound me! I keep you fed, I pander to your every need, and what do I get in return the slings and arrows of outraged propriety?"Jane tossed his head in mock outrage.

"Oh sheepdip!" The familiar retort came back.

"I come home from a hard day's work, all I want is a cup of tea and a rest and I get attacked out of nowhere." Jane bemoaned teasingly.

"Believe me If I wanted to attack you, I'd have you at my mercy in no time." There was something vaguely tantalising about the way Lisbon curled her lip as she delivered her threat.

"Is that a threat?" Jane said thickly.

"I prefer to think of it more as a promise." Lisbon's broke off the conversation, she wasn't quite sure how they had arrived at this point, but suddenly things seemed to be taking an unexpected turn...

* * *

The rustle of another truffle being unwrapped alerted Karen that Jennie had woken from her slumbers, she chided herself for not thinking that Jennie would enjoy the odd treat. "You feeling better after your nap?" She enquired gently.

Jennie nodded in response as she relished the rich chocolate, she had lost her appetite in general so it was welcome to have an energy boost as the sugar rush entered her system. "Have you heard from Teresa?" She enquired anxiously, she hadn't been at all happy about using Lisbon.

"Don't worry about it Jennie. She'll understand, all's fair in love and war." Karen said dismissively.

"But Teresa's one of the good guys, she's on our side." Jennie persisted.

Karen looked up "I can't blame you for wanting to delude yourself, but believe me when the chips are down, it's just you and me against the world."

"I just thought maybe we could pool our resources, make it easier for you." Jennie ventured.

"Lisbon's too vanilla, she's not prepared to stick her neck out." Karen said dismissively "She still adheres to the old fashioned virtues in the hope of saving all she holds dear. Now is the time for bold and decisive action, the faint hearted need not apply."

"What do you think will happen now?" Jennie wasn't sure exactly what Karen hoped to achieve.

"I'll leave it to simmer over night before adding some spice to the mix. Come tomorrow night Bertram's going to have to answer a whole load of awkward questions." A self satisfied smile spread across Karen's face. "Just wait Jennie the fun's only just started."

Jennies face lit up; Karen's audacity never failed to excite her. Jennie gingerly made her way over to the seat next to Karen and eagerly asked, "so where do we get started then?" Karen tenderly tucked her sleep mussed hair behind her ears and gave her a gentle kiss, before they huddled together conspiratorially to discuss their new plan of attack.

* * *

Lisbon had been summoned in for a meeting with Bertram, she had stopped by to check in with the team before the meeting. Her mood was not improved by having to endure the taunts of Selby's team as she made her way to the bullpen, resorting to a universal language she gave a one finger salute as she passed them by, which reflected the words on the tip of her tongue. Regretfully she accepted that it wouldn't do to further antagonise the situation, when her career was already in the balance.

Both Spengler and Bertram were going to be present at the pivotal interview, Lisbon carried herself proudly as she made her way to the interview room determined to comport herself with as much dignity as the situation allowed, she seated herself in front of the pair. Spengler went to close the door just as Jane slipped through. "Sorry I'm late, I hope I haven't held anything up," he quipped with his most charming smile.

Lisbon glared at him, she didn't need anyone to fight her battles. Jane just shrugged in reply.

"I wasn't aware that you were invited to this particular meeting Patrick" Bertram observed drily.

"Just an interested observer in the interests of fair play Gale. I won't say a word." He theatrically zipped his lips by way of confirmation.

Lisbon inwardly groaned, she knew that state of affairs wouldn't last for long.

Spengler looked from one to the other "A very interested party or more pertinently a lover perhaps?" He suggested provocatively.

"Concerned colleague." Jane refused to be drawn.

"Very well, it's all very irregular but that's what we've come to expect where Patrick's concerned. Spengler do you want to outline your report." Bertram nodded in the IA man's direction to indicate he wanted to move matters along.

"There is strong evidence of a history of reckless actions and breaches of accepted protocol that in themselves could warrant the instigation of disciplinary action. You've put up no cogent defence against the charge of reckless endangerment that resulted in one of your colleagues being seriously injured. Leaving the department open to a suit of malpractice."

Lisbon caught Jane's raised hand waving out of the corner of her eye, what was the hell was the jackass up to now?

"Yes Patrick?" Bertram asked with some irritation.

"Sorry for the interruption, but we have that covered." He passed over a signed affidavit from Rigsby.

Lisbon mouthed "We do?"

"I believe Agent Rigsby absolves the department, and more specifically Agent Lisbon of any responsibility for his injuries." Jane looked a picture of innocence as he smiled at Bertram.

A flicker of annoyance passed over Bertram's normally carefully composed features.

Spengler put the letter to one side dismissively. "As I was going to say, before I was so rudely interrupted. I was minded to refer this matter to HR and recommend immediate termination, but the Director has intervened on Agent Lisbon's behalf. He seems to think that she can be reformed and has recommended clemency in this instance, but a note will be added to your records and be assured that if you even so much as even jay walk agent Lisbon, I will personally march you up to HR and oversee your termination. Do you understand me Agent Lisbon?"

"Yes Sir, I understand perfectly." Lisbon said demurely.

Jane jumped up out of his seat, not willing to let Lisbon prostrate herself at their feet any further. "Right well I'm glad that's sorted. Agent Lisbon and I will return to our work, so that she can whip things back into order." He put a hand behind her back and guided her out of the office.

"So help me God, the first thing I'm going to whip into shape is your ass." She growled.

"Really I thought that went rather well."Jane smirked obtusely.

"Could you not just have told everyone about the letter beforehand?" Lisbon said accusingly.

"Ah yes, but I'd only just finished writing it."Jane looked sideward to assess the impact of his statement.

Lisbon's jaw had dropped open with incredulity. "Are you seriously telling me we've just given them a forged document? Didn't you hear them I'm on my third strike?" Honestly the man was impossible.

"Oh ye of little faith. I called Adam and the document will be legal by the end of the day, Rigsby willingly signed it so no-one will ever know any differently. By time they notice it's just a copy, I'll have the original document in my hands." It was true Adam had sent over the original document to another law firm and it was waiting to be officially notarised as soon as Jane could get Rigsby over there.

"You know they were going to let me off anyhow?" Lisbon said.

"Meh, just call it insurance. You never know how these things will pan out." Jane saw Bertram approaching. "Watch out, our Kommandant is making his way over."

Lisbon rolled her eyes, that was all she needed a tête à tête with Bertram. Without any further ado Bertram motioned to her office "Lisbon a word."

Needless to say Jane followed behind. Bertram didn't mince his words. "I'd like to speak with Agent Lisbon privately if you don't mind."

Lisbon guided Jane to the door and hissed "Jackass" at him.

Bertram was chuckling when she turned to face him."Well Teresa I can see how you got that nickname." Lisbon hadn't got a clue what he was on about, but smiled nevertheless.

"So Teresa did you do anything interesting in your time off?" Bertram assumed an air of benign urbanity.

"Oh this and that just catching up. You know how things slip when you're working all the time." She deflected.

"Indeed I do. I keep on meaning to meet up with my old friends at my alma mater, but never seem to have the time. Have you ever been to Stanford Lisbon, it's particularly lovely at this time of year?" Bertram cleverly laid a trap for her.

Fortunately Lisbon had been called out to Palo Alto when she was with SFPD and could honestly reply. "Yes Sir. I've had that pleasure."Chancing her luck she ventured "If I'm not mistaken Frances Rutherford is also one of their alumni."

"Indeed she is, we met at university it seems a long time ago. Of course Frances had a stellar career, she was always beyond reproach in everything she did. You wouldn't believe it but people keep trying to dig up dirt about things from the past." Bertram paused and stared at Lisbon. "Can you understand why anyone would want to do that Teresa?"

Overcoming the urge to swallow deeply Lisbon held his stare. "I guess it goes with the territory Sir."

"Indeed, idle hands make the devil's work. Not that it's going to be a problem round here, with the case load I've agreed to take over from SAC PD. There won't be any shortage of things to do." He stood up to leave. "My office will be sending over the files later and I'll be expecting regular updates."

* * *

Lisbon mulled over what he had said, he clearly suspected their involvement even if he had no proof and what was that he said about her nickname? She made her way out to the bullpen stopping by Cho and Rigsby's desk "So I've earned my nickname have I?"

"Uh-oh" came the sound from the sofa, Jane and Cho just looked at each other.

Grace piped up. "Don't worry about it Boss they call me Geeky Spice - I'm sure Grumpy Spice is a mark of how much they hold you in respect."

Jane cringed just waiting for the fallout, Lisbon pursued her lips as she perused the bullpen "No I would say it's a fairly accurate description, and one you lot are going to be experiencing first hand now that the Director of the CBI saw fit to mention it to me."

"Ouch!" Jane exclaimed, wondering how that had get out. Only himself, Cho and Rigsby had been present at the time. All eyes turned to Rigsby. "What? Don't blame me it wasn't my idea Cho started it."

Cho looked accusing at Rigsby "You've been showing off to the new girl in the mailroom again haven't you? If you want anything to get spread around just discuss it in the mail room, it's Gossip Central."

"Enough!" Lisbon bellowed. "The director is sending over some new files for us to work on, so there'll be no time for messing around when they arrive." She lifted her hand to her temples, jeez she'd only been back a couple of hours and already had a headache. Somewhere along the way she had forgotten to thank Rigsby for his letter, but she'd get round to that when things had calmed down a bit.

Jane tentatively made his way into her office. "Yes" she sighed, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Don't take it out on the others; it was me that christened you that."He said quietly.

"No kidding," she replied sarcastically, as she sorted through the accumulated paperwork.

"It's just a term of endearment, a bit like when you call me jackass." He tried to gain her attention.

"Well you're seriously deluded if you think I don't mean that when I say it. How the hell did Bertram learn about it anyhow?"

"The walls have ears; I very much doubt that anything is private for long around here." The consultant reflected.

Lisbon looked up more seriously "Are we still scanning for bugs every day?"

"Yes but they just seem to keep breeding, they're like cockroaches you get rid of one and another appears. It would probably pay to do your office before we go any further."Jane advised.

The office was clean for now. "How are you getting rid of them?" Lisbon asked out of interest.

"Well most are floating in the city sewer, but a large number of them have found their way into the briefcases and desks of Selby's team." He smirked in satisfaction, payback could be a real bitch at times. "What did Bertram want anyhow?"

"He suspects we've been digging into the past but can't prove anything. You know how conversations go with him, he just leaves things hanging in the air without making a direct accusation." Lisbon guessed she had been brought back in to the fold so Bertram could keep an eye on her."Seriously I need to try and work my way through this paperwork, we'll talk more tonight."

* * *

 **A/N Just a quick update before Easter. Next update will be after Easter.**


	29. Chapter 29 : A Sting In The Tail

**Chapter 29 : The Sting In The Tail**

Despite Jane's protests, Lisbon had insisted he accompanied Cho and Van Pelt to the university research institute at Merced. There had been a suspicious death at the facility, which was renowned for its work on honey bees and their uses in agriculture.

Lisbon had a decided twinkle in her eye as she teased Jane."Well, I thought you'd leap at the chance to find out more, especially as I know you've been hankering to try on that beekeeping outfit."

"Lisbon that's just not playing fair, besides it's no fun dressing up without you." Jane whined.

Cho coughed to make them aware of his presence; he really didn't want to hear any more of that conversation.

Lisbon reverted to bossy mode, embarrassed at being caught out by Cho. "Just suck it up Jane; I'm sure the CBI won't grind to a halt if you're out for a morning."

"It's not the CBI I'm worried about." Ignoring their practice of keeping up appearances up in front of the team, Jane turned his attention to the big man. "Rigsby I'm holding you responsible for keeping an eye on things while we're out."

Rigsby looked nervously from one to the other, but on seeing Lisbon's piercing glare he just shook his head at Jane. "I just follow orders man. She's the boss."

Feeling sorry for himself was becoming a common pastime for Rigsby, he hated being stuck on desk duty while the others went out in the field. The Boss wasn't exactly the best company in the world, though pleasant enough when she spoke to him, it was obvious she had other things on her mind. Rigsby's ears pricked up at the sound of the squeaking wheels of the mail trolley; his eyes followed the noise over to the mail boxes, where Gloria from the mail room was going about her business. Rigsby had a quick look round to check what Lisbon was doing, before casually making his way over to Gloria.

"Hiya Wayne." Gloria said without turning, the none too subtle aroma of Rigsby's cologne had preceded him.

"Why Gloria, you'll have me thinking you're psychic." Rigsby joked; he had taken quite a liking to the pert brunette, who was a recent addition to the mailroom.

"Maybe it was just wishful thinking, hoping it was you. You're a real gent, all the others keep hitting on me and won't take no for an answer." Gloria gave Rigsby a coy smile of encouragement.

Rigsby hated it when men were too pushy, his face turned serious. "If you have any trouble just let me know; I'm sure Jane can find ways to make their lives uncomfortable. Now you've made me feel awkward about coming over here, I was going to ask if you fancied a coffee at lunchtime, but forget it now. I don't want to embarrass you."

Gloria beamed at him. "Oh sweetie I'd love that, but I do have plans for today - maybe later in the week?"

Rigsby grinned back. "I'll look forward to that, but only if you want to. Don't feel under any obligation."

Rigsby returned to his desk with a skip in his step. Lisbon had observed it all from her office and just shook her head. Poor Rigsby was so needy these days, single life just didn't suit him anymore. Since Van Pelt had made it clear that she was focussed on her career and had no time for any distractions, Rigsby had set his sights on the cute as a button Gloria, who had got Rigsby right where she wanted him. Lisbon reflected that some harmless fun would do him good, just so long as he didn't get hurt again.

* * *

The victim, Dr Cristina Alves, had been found early that morning in one of the restricted compounds. There was strict security at the facility to prevent any of their hybrid bees getting out into the real world and entering the gene pool. The doctor had died as a result of a horrific bee attack, for some reason she had not been wearing her full protective clothing when she entered the compound.

The Director of the Institute had called in the police straight away; he didn't believe someone as experienced as Dr Alves would take unnecessary risks, as she was well known to be a stickler for protocol.

Jane listened intently as the Director explained that some of their funding came from the almond growers in California, who extensively use honey bees to pollinate their crops. The European honey bees were being badly affected by parasitic mites, and additionally the hives had to be strictly monitored to check for Africanised bees, because of all the problems with their unpredictable behaviour and it all added to the costs for the farmers.

Dr Alves was running a programme to genetically engineer a hybrid of the European and African bees to select the best characteristics of both strains. They were also exploring how synthetic bee pheromones could be used to control the behaviour of the hybrid bees, to try and control the more aggressive traits that plagued the African bees and that earned them the name killer bees. The bees were actually no more toxic than ordinary bees, they just exhibited hyper defensive characteristics and were particularly aggressive when they attacked.

Some almond farmers had been turning to self pollinating varieties of trees, which obviated the need to import bees at blossom time. As a result of this some of the funding to the research facility was being cut, and the department needed to be rationalised.

The hybrid bees in the compound, where Dr Alves had been found, had exhibited no sign of aggression since they had been exposed to an experimental pheromone. The Director was perturbed that Dr Alves had succumbed to the attack right by the exit door, and yet she hadn't managed to escape. Furthermore it concerned him that the hitherto placid hive had turned aggressive.

Jane was not in the best of humour, as he was there under protest. Poor Rigsby had already been the recipient of texts threatening to tell Claire where he lived, in the event that anything untoward happened in Jane's absence. Unsurprisingly Jane went straight for the jugular, not inclined to waste time with the niceties. "Professional jealousies must fester in a place like this. The world of academia is a breeding ground for resentment and scheming, with the limited funds available for research."

The Director nodded. "Academics feel pushed into publishing to get funding, the atmosphere can be highly competitive at times."

"So it must be tempting to take short cuts to be the first to publish, just to get your name out there." Jane ventured.

The Director looked horrified. "No that would be frowned on, that would undermine everything we do, and besides any inaccuracies would be picked up by peer review."

"Oh come on, there must be people blinded by ambition who are prepared to stand on the shoulders of others to secure the necessary funding." Jane guessed it would be pretty cut throat when rival groups in an establishment were vying for funds. "So who would benefit most from Dr Alves death?"

"No one would benefit from the death of such a dedicated research scientist. She's a real loss to the scientific community." The Director sternly rebuked Jane.

"Meh! Either she's stumbled on some dubious research ethics, or she was taken out by a rival for funding." Jane addressed Cho. "We need to examine that door to see why she couldn't escape, and ascertain what makes a bunch of happy bees angry."

Jane figured they would have this wrapped up in no time; he glanced down at his phone at the sound of an incoming alert and smiled when he read the text from Lisbon _Leave Rigsby alone!_

On meeting the research team, Jane adopted his usual divisive tactics to sniff out the most likely suspect. Even without establishing his motives, Jane was pretty sure that Dr Hardy was their man. All that was required was for Van Pelt to find an explanation for the sudden change in the bee's behaviour, and they could take this back to Sacramento to wrap it up.

* * *

Karen checked in on Jennie before she left. The last few days had taken their toll on the invalid, who had been too fatigued to even get out of bed. Jennie just gave a wan smile to assure Karen she would be fine; she hated feeling that she was holding Karen back.

The secret to Karen's success was that she had a network of spies around the city; she was a social chameleon who could mix in any circles. She certainly had no respect for position, and had many well placed contacts ready to barter information for favours. If you had a sense of déjà vu when you passed the tramp on the street corner, that was probably because he was working for Karen. No one ever stared too long at the tramps, so she could move them around from one venue to another without fear of recognition.

The slightly down at heel diner was a perfect meeting place, and Karen soon made her way over to the woman looking distastefully at the concoction that masqueraded as coffee. Gloria heard Karen approaching, and dispensing with the preliminaries she started whinging. "Really Karen how do you find these places?"

Karen laughed, Gloria wasn't used to roughing it. "Welcome to the world of the undercover agent."

Gloria was one of Karen's plants; she was an investigative journalist researching the extent of corruption in government. Her interests were much broader than Karen's, but she had agreed to a brief sojourn at the CBI, to find out more about the workings of the operation.

She pulled off the luxuriant curly wig and shook her head to reveal a short pixie cut. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked disgustedly at the wig. "Honestly Karen, I'm sure you have an 80's fixation. Who wears their hair like this these days?"

Karen smirked. "All in a good cause Gloria." Karen had taken an unaccountable delight in dressing down her normally sophisticated friend, who was much more at home with her Jimmy Choos than the clumpy work boots that currently adorned her feet.

"Seriously they're a bunch of Neanderthals; I don't know how the women there cope with it." Gloria rolled her eyes.

Karen jumped in quickly, before Gloria started lamenting her lot again. "Ok, so what news have you got for me so far?"

"Well Bertram is keeping his distance at the moment, but it's obvious that Selby is his de facto deputy. Lisbon's team is being steered away from anything sensitive, they're being sent out on some of the more distant assignments, just leaving Wayne to man the phones."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so it's Wayne now is it?"

Gloria coloured slightly. "Wayne's not like the others; he's a real sweetie and looks out for me."

Karen teased. "Sweetie eh? Well, we can sure use that to our advantage. Any news of Haffner?"

"No he's still on sick leave; no one knows what's happening on that front. There are rumours that he may be leaving, but no one seems to have spoken to him since the incident." Gloria had gleaned most of her intel from overheard conversations, while she was ostensibly working. Nobody ever suspected the mail crew, and their presence was largely ignored.

"Look, I want you to keep track of Lisbon's movements; she's the one most likely to make a move. Just keep on batting those eyelashes at Wayne and see what you can wheedle out of him."

Gloria pulled her wig back on and adjusted it. "How's that?"

"Joan Collins would be proud of you darling." Karen stifled a smile at the transformation.

* * *

There was only so much paperwork that even Lisbon could handle, so she ventured out to stretch her legs, with the intention of going out for some fresh air. A muffled cry came up from the stairwell, drawing her gun she hissed at Rigsby to come over and stand guard, before she started slowly edging her way down to investigate. One of Haffner's team was fending off an attack from some hooded men. Unaware they were being watched they set about the man, Lisbon quickly scanned for any distinguishing features for future reference. Unable to stand by and watch the attack any longer, Lisbon raised her gun and shouted. "Put your hands in the air. I've got you covered." The masked men broke off their attack, and hurriedly made their escape, knowing full well that Lisbon was in no position to give chase.

Returning the glock to its holster, she turned her attention to the injured agent, who she knew was a member of Visualize. Jane had revealed the identifies of three Visualize agents on Haffner's floor; one had already left, just leaving the injured man Agent Ford, and his colleague Agent Lang as the remaining members.

"You ok to walk Ford?" Lisbon asked the injured man.

"Yeah it's just my ribs I think. Thanks Lisbon." He muttered.

"Look it's none of my business, but you and Lang need to make sure you stick together as much as possible, with what's going down at the moment." Lisbon proffered some friendly advice.

Ford just laughed it off with typical cop machismo. "We can't go round holding hands Lisbon, people would talk."

"Who cares what people think?" Lisbon countered before adding. "Unless of course Visualize has a policy on that?" Lisbon racked her brains to think of any gay members of Visualize.

Wincing, Ford pulled himself to his feet. "Agent Lisbon I appreciate your help, and I'm sure Mr Stiles would love to discuss doctrine with you at some point, but I really must return to my work."

"Alright, but watch out Ford. These people mean business, any problems just call my team." Lisbon knew full well that Ford wouldn't take her advice.

* * *

Cho quickly examined the text on his phone, and a trace of a smile passed his lips. Jane had noted the agent's sideward glance at him, and resolved to find out what was going on as soon as they had wrapped the case up. Van Pelt's research had been productive, and Jane felt fairly confident they would have a result before they left today.

Jane looked round the assembled scientists and began his spiel. "It seems perverse to talk about deviant behaviour in such illustrious company, especially when the purpose of your work is to control the behaviour of another species. But human behaviour, even in an institute as distinguished as this, is no different from anywhere else. The petty tyranny of the project leaders over their poorly paid research assistants, who can be replaced at the first sign of dissension, just fosters an environment of resentment. In the scramble for funding, it's inevitable that a laissez faire attitude is taken to ensuring all the controls are in place."

Jane paused to take in the affect of his words on the assembled group, noting his main suspect and some of the junior researchers were looking distinctly ill at ease. Satisfied he was on the right track he continued.

"Dr Alves had noticed a discrepancy in the preliminary draft of one of the papers under review, and was checking up on some data before making her final analysis The Director was rightly sceptical that someone as experienced as Dr Alves would put herself at risk, by all accounts she was a stickler for procedure. So we have to ask what would have enticed the doctor to venture into the enclosure without protective clothing at that ungodly hour, when no one else was around.

"Firstly the hive in question was in a passive state, so provided she didn't venture too close there was no imminent danger. So the next question is why would she go in there at all? That is easily explained once you realise that the temperature recorder is situated right next to the door. The doctor had nipped in to take a quick look at the data log, with no intention of approaching the hives, but then she found herself unable to open the door back into the laboratory. The scuff marks on the door frame show evidence of a struggle to force the door open, indicating the door had been rigged so she could not escape."

Jane motioned in Van Pelt's direction. "From what my colleague has gleaned, we understand you're conducting tests with experimental pheromones to switch the bees between aggressive and passive modes at will, but Dr Alves had identified another factor that undermined a lot of the research data. Their behaviour is also linked to temperature, and all your tests have been carried out in a carefully controlled temperature environment that naturally inhibits some aspects of their behaviour, even in the wild the Africanised bees exhibit noticeably less aggressive traits in cooler climes.

Jane fixed his eye on Dr Hardy before he went in for the kill. "So Dr Alves tackled Dr Hardy, asking for evidentiary proof that the effect of temperature had been compensated for, as the controlled compound is significantly cooler than the ambient outdoor temperature. Dr Hardy knew his career would be in ruins if his oversight was revealed, and he decided to take action. Once Dr Alves was trapped, Hardy released attack pheromones into the compound, causing the bees to swarm and attack the defenceless doctor. It would be a cruel and painful death, but it would look like the victim had just been careless."

All eyes were on Dr Hardy, he blustered. "This is pure speculation, I would never harm Dr Alves, we enjoyed many successful collaborations."

"Well that's not entirely true. I heard there was a heated discussion some days back. She was about to reveal your oversight." Jane stated matter of factly.

Dr Hardy looked agitatedly around the room, addressing his peers. "This is unsubstantiated nonsense. There are no grounds to query my research, I had no reason whatsoever to kill Dr Alves."

Jane surveyed the room; many of the researchers avoided his gaze. "Judging by the looks of your colleagues, I would say Dr Alves wasn't the only one who had doubts about your methodology."

Jane knew the team would soon be able to fill in the fine detail of the case, and he was tiring of pursuing the matter further. "Let's not waste any more time on this. Cho arrest this man, we can finish questioning him back at the CBI."

Dr Hardy tried to make his escape, only to find his way blocked by Van Pelt. Jane added for good measure "Of course the other way of identifying the guilty party, is to see who tries to leave the room first."

As soon as everything was in hand, Jane cornered Cho. "So what was that text about?"

Cho stared impassively at him. "Nothing to worry about, the Boss just rescued one of Haffner's men from a viscous attack."

Jane exhaled deeply in frustration. "I thought Rigsby was watching out for her?"

Cho stopped and looked Jane straight in the face. "Lisbon won't thank you for this; it undermines her position with you trying to protect her. Think how many times she put herself at risk on your behalf, what's different now?"

Jane knew Cho was right, but he just couldn't help himself. The woman he had fallen for was a tough uncompromising cop. He didn't want a pale imitation of that woman, but he just couldn't stop worrying. He nodded in acknowledgement of Cho's wise words.

Taking pity on the consultant, Cho added. "She's not stupid Jane; she knows what's at stake. For what it's worth she took Rigsby as backup, so don't be too hard on either of them."

* * *

Lisbon was just finishing up her reports when she heard a commotion in the office. Gloria was being hassled by Selby, and Lisbon emerged just in time to stop Rigsby getting embroiled. Placing herself firmly between the warring sides, she tried to calm things down. "Ok people that's enough, everyone just keep it calm."

Lisbon glanced down and caught a glimpse of Selby's distinctive Oxford brogues, which she recalled seeing on one of Ford's attackers. Lingering a fraction too long on Selby's shoes, she raised her head to deal with the belligerent agent who had refused to give ground. Selby had clearly noticed that flicker of recognition, but just brazenly stared her out, willing her to say something.

The team came back into the office just in time to catch the tail end of events, and Jane watched on apprehensively.

Lisbon curled her lip, and looked at Selby disdainfully. "You may think you're belittling others with your bullying, but you're just demeaning yourself."

Selby lurched towards her. "What did you just say? I should knock your head off."

Lisbon calmly held her position. "D'you want me to spell it out to you in words of one syllable?"

Cho quickly intervened. "That's enough Boss, you've made your point."

A look of pure hatred crossed Selby's face, before he withdrew to join his cohorts. Gloria scurried back to the mail room, giving Lisbon a grateful look in passing

Lisbon caught Jane's look of dismay, and decided to take matters in hand. "My office in 5 minutes." She told the team, before motioning for Jane to come with her before the others followed.

Taking her seat, she exhaled deeply composing herself before she spoke to Jane. "Look I know how that looks, but things have kinda got out of hand in the office today. Bertram's men decided to take on the Visualize guys, and Selby's throwing his weight around trying to intimidate everyone."

Jane was struggling to keep control."So I see, though throwing petrol on the flames is hardly the way to put out the blaze."

Lisbon held her hand up to acknowledge her culpability."I know, but I can't stand bullies. Selby had tried it on with one of the girls from the mail room, and it was getting nasty. I just went out to defuse the situation."

"And how did that go?" Jane scoffed acerbically.

"Not well," she admitted. "I had just realised that Selby was one of Ford's attackers, and he was goading me. Jeez they're so blatant now, they're not even bothering to hide it anymore. It's not safe for any of us to be here alone now. We need to work out a strategy."

Jane took scant comfort from the fact that Lisbon was well aware of the dangers, but at least she was taking action.

The team had given them some time together before filtering in. "I'm sure Rigsby has filled you in on what has been happening around here. It's hard to say whether this was just a random outbreak of violence, or whether this is part of a concerted effort to ratchet up the pressure. I can't believe they would want to bring things to a head before the elections."

Lisbon paused before she broached the next issue. "However in the light of what is going on here, I want you all to go home tonight and seriously consider your long term career options. The CBI isn't going to be a safe place to work much longer, and you're all great agents in your own right. It's probably time that you looked at advancing your careers anyhow. In the short term we need to make sure that we're paired up in the offices and car parks, there will be a campaign of intimidation even if they don't directly attack us."

Cho spoke up defiantly. "I'm not leaving you Boss, not while this is going on."

Lisbon smiled appreciatively. "I know, but it does no harm to explore the options Cho."

Van Pelt and Rigsby both followed suit and pledged their own loyalty, but were advised to look to their futures. Lisbon knew the CBI was going down, and that her career would go down with it, but she didn't want her team to be collateral damage.

Lisbon finished up early that night; it didn't seem wise to hang around late in the circumstances. Jane followed her to the lift, which juddered to a halt between floors, clearly someone was playing games with them.

Jane wryly remarked. "Well under normal circumstances I would say that being stuck in a lift with you is high on my bucket list, but I have no intention of putting on a freak show for anyone."

Lisbon pulled out her scanner and determined the lift was clear of bugs; an impish smile appeared on her face as she took Jane's hand. She took an inordinate delight in seeing his eyes widen, as he was unsure of her intentions. Sadly Jane would have to wait a very long time to scrub that item off his bucket list, if ever, but it didn't have to be a complete waste of time and she pulled him down to sit on the floor next to her.

"So tell me about this bucket list of yours, I guess beekeeping is no longer an option." Lisbon purred into his ear.

"You want me to tell you here?" Jane smiled suggestively.

"Well I believe I may have some time on my hands in the near future, so maybe we could do something together." Lisbon probed gently.

"Well, I'd love to whisk you off to somewhere exotic, where we could spend some time really getting to know each other. You know one of those places where you stay in a beach hut on stilts in the water, with the sea lapping around you." Jane looked wistfully at Lisbon, not sure whether she was a get away from it all person.

"Um, I could do that." Lisbon bit on her bottom lip as she envisaged the scene.

"Then I'd like us to find a home together, a proper house, maybe a dog, somewhere to put down roots." Jane had been waiting for an opportunity to have this conversation, but had always imagined it would be in a more romantic setting.

Lisbon smiled shyly, "that sounds nice."

A sudden lurch propelled the lift back into movement, and brought them back from their reverie. They held hands as the lift made its way to the car park, Lisbon tried to leave the lift, but was held back as Jane remained immersed in his thoughts.

"And then finally, I thought I would like to get married again sometime." Jane uttered softly, noting the mixed emotions on Lisbon's face as his words sank in.

Lisbon blustered in surprise as panic set in. "Wow, is that a proposal?"

"No, you're not ready for that yet, but it's a notice of intent Teresa. I can't imagine my life without you, and one day I hope you'll feel the same." Without further ado, and not requiring a response, he led her to her SUV, leaving her to her thoughts as they made their way back to her flat.

* * *

 **A/N** I got a bit carried away with the bee stuff, hope it's not too boring.


	30. Chapter 30 : Future Plans

**Chapter 30 : Future Plans**

Jane's admission weighed heavily on Lisbon; they had never taken the time to discuss anything beyond the immediate future, contenting themselves with basking in the afterglow of their recently declared love. It wasn't that the words were unwelcome, it was just that Lisbon had always had problems with commitment. Years had been devoted to establishing her career, and she had denied herself the luxury of contemplating a life outside of work. When the shit finally hit the fan there would be no going back, and Lisbon would be a pariah in the law enforcement. Although she would be vindicated in her actions, whistleblowers were routinely despised by their peers.

Lisbon would be happy to drift along with Jane, without the need to get married, but she sensed he needed to take that next step to affirm that he had finally moved on. Jane needed to belong to someone and to have the security of being part of a family once more, after all those years in the wilderness.

Contrary to what Jane had said, there was no question of her feelings for him. OK, she didn't exactly find it easy to emote; from an early age she had schooled herself to suppress her feelings. Grieving for her mother had taken a back seat to the practicalities of rearing her brothers, while her father disintegrated before her eyes. Later she had turned protector, as her father spiralled into a cycle of alcoholic abuse. Any tears shed were well hidden from the outside world, the only emotions she allowed herself were the flashes of anger, which were a safety valve for when it all got too much.

Their lives had been inextricably bound from the moment they met, Jane became her charge in more ways than one, and she watched him build himself up from the mere shell of a man to a semblance of normality. The nascent feelings of a sibling affection were soon evident, there had been no need to hide them it was natural that partners would respond to each other. Lisbon had kept a firm grip on any wayward thoughts for a long time, although she hoped there was a degree of reciprocation, but frankly she had doubted whether Jane would ever be able to move on, and for a long time had reconciled herself to a purely platonic relationship.

Marriage was a real game changer, it hadn't been something she'd given much thought to. Lisbon wasn't princess material, the dream wedding and all its trappings weren't for her. Throughout all her trials she had maintained a thread of spirituality, her religion held strong. If she committed to marriage it would have to be for life, it wasn't something that you just drifted into because it was time. Marriage couldn't be the consolation prize for her career going down the pan, she owed it to both of them to wait until she was absolutely ready.

None of her doubts related to Jane or even her feelings for Jane, it was purely a question of whether she was up for the challenge. Could she Teresa Lisbon give herself over completely to another person without holding back? She had come a long way in letting down her guard, most of the safeguards now in place were work related. In the eventuality they weren't working together, perhaps it would be easier to let herself go completely. A life time of being buttoned up wasn't easy to overcome, but found herself warming to the idea as she considered what they already had together.

Lisbon wrestled with these thoughts deep into the night. Jane, who was himself a light sleeper, was aware of her restlessness and had no doubt of the cause of it. He slipped a comforting arm around her, and was gratified by the feeling of her relaxing in to him. Jane didn't regret his admission or the timing of it, at this time of uncertainty he wanted to give Lisbon all the reassurance she needed. If it all went down in the next few weeks, he wanted her to know that he was there for her, come what may. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause any tension between them, and he wouldn't mention it again until he was absolutely sure that she was ready, but at least Lisbon had no reason to doubt him. Feeling sleep returning, he muzzled her neck gently before letting himself drift off again.

* * *

They both agreed it was time to approach Minelli. The information they had was tenuous to say the least, but they knew Minelli was back in contact with Hightower, and their evidence coupled with her testimony might carry some weight. Hightower was one of the few people who knew that McAllister was the real Red John, Jane had sent a message to her via her aunt, and when Hightower finally contacted Jane, she had been persuaded that it was safe to come out of hiding. Minelli had paved the way for her to start afresh with the FBI in Texas, where she was well out of the reach of Bertram's cohorts.

The emails and dossier were the only hard evidence, and without proof of their provenance they were unlikely to stand up to scrutiny. Somehow they had to try and convince the authorities that the CBI was not fit for purpose, even if it was based on the weight of a body of evidence, in the absence of hard facts.

* * *

Ideally they needed to talk to Haffner to convince him to bear witness, but he was proving particularly elusive. Jane decided to go straight to the top and Stiles agreed to meet them with little persuasion. Jane suspected Stiles would be wary of their intentions, and would want to know what was going on.

"Why Patrick my boy, how kind of you to bring the delightful Agent Lisbon with you." The old fraud watched Lisbon's eyes roll at the flattery. "I'm assuming this isn't entirely a social call, but I'm forgetting my manners, please take a seat my dear." Stiles patted the chair next to him in an avuncular manner, motioning for Lisbon to sit next to him.

Jane started to get the conversation rolling."With the New Order bandwagon gathering momentum, it has the potential to attract people who would normally turn to Visualize for guidance. To put it bluntly, it could affect your revenue stream."

"Honestly Patrick, how many times do I have to tell you, we are a religion seeking to steer lost souls back to the path of fulfilment. Monetary considerations are secondary." Stiles assumed a superior air as he defended his _"religion"_.

"Whatever you choose to believe Brett, but money makes the world go round, and paid for those new facilities in Jakarta. Without the benefit of the centuries of established revenues, a new religion would soon grind to a halt without an influx of new monies." Whatever Stiles said, Jane knew Visualize needed income to fund its business model.

"Ah well, yes of course there practical considerations, but the New Order will be short lived. There have been too many people sacrificed on the altar of convenience, one way or another it will catch up with Bertram. Such a shame really, Frances would be an asset to any organisation, but I always find it pays to choose your friends carefully." Stiles clearly knew more than he was letting on to.

All heads looked round as the door opened, and Haffner made his way towards them. Still bearing the evidence of the attack, he was sporting a particularly unflattering buzz cut revealing the scars of his injuries; nevertheless Lisbon greeted Haffner warmly. Stiles watched with amusement as Jane perceptibly stiffened when Lisbon hugged Haffner. Jane forced himself to make polite enquiry for the sake of appearances. "Glad to see you've recovered Haffner."

"Yes I'm fine, just a little bit hazy on the memory." Haffner's reply was guarded and measured.

"No need to pretend Haffner, we know all about your trip to Stanford and your findings." Jane guessed Haffner was feigning memory loss at this juncture, in the interests of self preservation.

A flicker of annoyance passed over Haffner's face."You always have to mess with people, don't you Jane?"

The consultant didn't bother to hide his self satisfied smile. As usual it fell to Lisbon to smooth the ruffled feathers. "Seriously Ray, there's nothing to worry about on that front. Do you recall anything from that night?"

"Not really, they were just some rent a thugs; it was quick, effective and no messing. I had no time to react. They made a quick search for anything incriminating, then administered a few well aimed blows and after that it's all a blur. You've already worked out what I wanted to tell you, so it was all in vain." Haffner shrugged philosophically.

Lisbon placed her hand on Haffner's arm and leant forward "Ray, I really appreciate what you did for us, if I can return the favour just let me know."

Stiles started to chuckle as he watched Ray bask in her attention, while Jane's hostility simmered below the surface. "I can see I've underestimated you my dear, those bewitching green eyes are an underrated weapon. They've cast quite a spell on our two friends here, if I may say so." Lisbon shifted uncomfortably under the glare of his attention.

"Shall we cut to the chase," Jane snapped irritably.

Stiles smile just broadened, it was unusual to see Jane rattled. "So my dear boy, perhaps you would be so good as to tell me what your intentions are."

"Why would I want to do that Brett? For all we know you're in league with the New Order, and this is just a front to deflect attention." Jane countered defensively.

"But Patrick, I do believe it was you that requested the meeting, and you wouldn't be here if you seriously thought I was in cahoots with New Order. I'm sure you're not here just to enquire about my health, though I'm doing rather nicely at the moment in case you're interested." Stiles relished turning the screw on Jane, it was evident that his customary patience was wearing thin.

"You know one of your members was attacked at the CBI." Jane tried to advance the conversation beyond urbane inanities.

"Yes I believe Agent Lisbon rode to the rescue yet again." Stiles eyes twinkled as he looked at Lisbon, she really was quite interesting when you got to know her.

"It's not safe to leave them in there Mr Stiles, the mood has changed for the worse." Lisbon solemnly advised.

"Despite your undoubted courage, I doubt it's safe for you either my dear, and I very much doubt Patrick is your knight in shining armour, whatever he may care to think. From what I've heard you've made a lot of enemies, and are probably more at risk than anyone. It's unusual to see Bertram so rattled, he may be tempted to do something rash, a quick fix may just be too appealing. With that in mind, Brother Ray has volunteered to return for a few weeks while we make a controlled retreat, at least it's another pair of eyes watching out and we owe you that." Stiles gave a slight but deferential nod of his head.

Jane felt uncharcteristically guilty at winding Haffner up, it would have been all too easy for Haffner to cry off on sick leave. Haffner was under no obligation to do this."I guess I owe you one then Haffner, the backup is much appreciated." Deciding it would do no harm to open up Jane continued. "You know the CBI will fall before long, it's just a question of managing the situation. We'll make sure you're warned before anything happens."

A curt nod from Haffner confirmed he understood the gravity of the situation, and that their best interests were served by working together, albeit briefly.

* * *

Frances Rutherford was poring over her next speech, her micromanaged campaign had started to go off the rails with all the adverse publicity Bertram was attracting. Up until now Rutherford had been Teflon coated, but with the temperature starting to rise there was a very real chance that something would start to stick.

Bertram and Rutherford had been close at one stage, very close, but even at an early stage she detected a flaw in his character that was going to get him into trouble. There was an undeniable attraction between them; they were so well matched on many counts, but she held him at arm's length, recognising that underneath the emollient charm there was a more ruthless streak prepared to cross over to the dark side at times.

Rutherford never asked too much about the rivals who had fallen by the wayside. She may have wondered how their peccadilloes became fodder for the 24 hour news culture that fed off the weaknesses of others. In a different age it would have all been swept under the carpet, but in the frenzy to feed the news juggernaut, the media pack exploited any failings, leaving the hapless victims discarded on the sidelines, wondering wtf had happened. They soon became yesterday's news, and were left to pick up the remnants of their fractured lives. It was no wonder that only the most brazen people were willing to put themselves forwards for election; the decent people, who could have made a difference, were unwilling to brave the intense scrutiny and prurient interest of the news machine.

The media moguls hunted down their targets with military precision, patiently suppressing information until it would have the maximum impact. Sometimes they would be following their own agenda, but more often than not the victims were sacrificed on the altar of ratings. After all who could resist a good story?

Rutherford had escaped relatively unscathed, largely because there wasn't anything particularly unsavoury to rake up, but she guessed Bertram was keeping the news hounds at bay by feeding them stories about her rivals. It was one of the many things she turned a blind eye to. She made sure that she was rarely seen in public with Bertram these days, but he was still her closest confidant and a trusted friend in private.

Karen Cross had been busy plugging away at destabilising Bertram, tweeting new insinuations each day, she had all but impugned his integrity suggesting he had an interest in the heist suspect being taken out. Reporters at his routine press conferences had been briefed with awkward questions, and the normally cool and collected Director was getting decidedly hot under the collar.

When Karen questioned the extent of Frances Rutherford's culpability, Bertram started to set his sights on Karen. He knew Lisbon had met with her, but was unsure of the degree of their complicity. Karen had the more immediate power to damage them, and what Frances didn't know wouldn't harm her.

* * *

Lisbon was almost demob happy as she sorted the mounting files into short and long term piles, smiling at the larger pile knowing full well those suckers were never going to be processed. Lisbon finally took Jane's advice on prioritising; the surveys and outreach programmes, devised by the middle managers who mistook activity for achievement, were despatched unprocessed to the circular file.

Jane's eyes twinkled as he realised what she was doing, though it was tinged in pathos to think all those years of striving would shortly count for nothing. Venturing forward he held out his hand. "Enough Lisbon, let's go home. We'll pick some food up on the way back."

"No I thought, I'd cook for a change." Lisbon scrutinised Jane's face for any signs of disparagement.

"Are you sure you won't need me to draw a map for you, so you know where everything is?" He quipped.

"I can cook." She protested.

Jane just raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you don't bring up three hungry brothers without knowing your way about a kitchen, I may not be a fancy cook but I know what I'm doing." She growled.

"Well there's always that Cordon Bleu microwave to fall back on if all else fails." Jane swerved to avoid the low flying stapler.

"Just you wait and see, you'll be surprised." Lisbon assured him.

"I have no doubt.." His lips twitched as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Very mature, Lisbon, very mature..."

* * *

After a more than acceptable meal, Jane settled down on the sofa anticipating that Lisbon would be joining him. He just groaned when she pulled out her laptop. "Are you seriously going to work tonight?"

"Job hunting." came back the reply; her face was screwed up in concentration as she scanned down the screen.

"A bit premature my dear." Jane was somewhat confused at the need to do this now.

"Not for me jackass, for the rest of the team. I want them to be covered when we finally pull the plug." Lisbon explained impatiently.

"But why are you doing it?" Jane half guessed the answer to that question.

"Because I know full well, they'll hang on from a misplaced sense of loyalty and get caught in the crossfire. You could always help." Lisbon moved the laptop over so Jane could see it.

"Ok who are we starting with?" Jane started to read the highlighted item.

"Rigsby, he'll need to stay local because of Ben. There's this one in Oakland; insurance fire investigator, regular hours, better pay and he could draw back on his previous experience. It's tailor made for him." Lisbon started to type.

"What are you doing?" Jane shook his head as he watched her.

"Filling in an application. I have it on good authority he'll have an excellent reference from his boss." Lisbon pressed the send button, one down two to go.

"Why Agent Lisbon I'm delighted to see you plumb new depths, you're really quite sneaky when you put your mind to it. It's vindication of all those years of training, I have to say I've taught you well." Jane smirked as he waited for the reaction.

Lisbon arched one eyebrow, "I'll have you know I can be just as sneaky as you Paddy boy, when it suits."

Jane tutted in mock disapproval."Right what about Cho?"

" Quantico, he deserves better than this, he's a first rate investigator. If he wants to come back here after the dust has settled it's up to him, but it gets him out of the way for a while."

"And Grace?" Jane queried.

"Well, I'm spoilt for choice. She really could write her own cheque if she wanted to." Lisbon knew they had barely started to tap Van Pelt's potential.

"Don't tell me Victoria's Secrets." Jane quipped teasingly, he had the greatest respect for Grace but she was undeniably striking, and he knew he would get a rise out of Lisbon.

Lisbon wafted him away disapprovingly. "Typical. Actually I've put her down for Quantico as well as a specialist analyst, but there are some seriously good opportunities at Cisco and she wouldn't have to relocate. It's up to Grace how she sees herself in the future."

"And what about you?" Jane said softly.

She laughed ironically."That's a secondary consideration, but I'm not looking beyond being a small town cop in Hicksville, if I'm lucky. Depends on you really, I'm assuming you'll be hitching a ride?"

"Just you try and stop me." Jane met her gaze reassuringly.

* * *

Lisbon called the team together to inform them that they unofficially had the backup of Haffner's team. There was to be no open acknowledgement of it, and it was essential that the normal hostilities between teams were maintained to avoid suspicion.

Jane heard the mail cart stop by the office door while they were talking, and he pointedly got up and closed the door. He noticed Gloria was bent down doing up her laces, although he didn't pass comment at the time, he made a mental note to find out more about her.

The first thing he noticed was that Gloria let odd words and phrases slip into conversation that wouldn't be common parlance in the mailroom. The perfectly formed ovals of her nails hinted at a professional manicure. Jane seized the opportunity to ride the elevator with her; peering into her half open bag he noted her reading matter was not the normal fare of the CBI let alone the mailroom.

After watching her work her feminine wiles on Rigsby again, Jane caught up with her as she was making her way back to the mail room.

"Gloria, isn't it?" Jane flashed one of his most charming smiles. "I wonder if I could trouble you to put this in the post for me?"

Gloria cheerily replied."Why certainly Mr Jane, but wait a minute I think you've forgotten to fill in the address."

"Oh don't worry, it will be delivered, I'm sure of that." Jane watched intently as an unmistakable flicker of alarm passed across Gloria's face, when she realised the envelop was addressed to Karen Cross.

Jane continued before she had the chance to respond."It's a pleasure finally getting to know you Gloria, by the way you may want to oil those wheels if you're going incognito in future, it's a real tell when you stop." He regarded her more seriously. "One more thing be kind to Rigsby, he's been through a lot this year and he genuinely likes you."

Gloria never came back to work, she had been spooked by the incident with Selby and knew the gig was up once Jane had confronted her - she was by no means as intrepid as Karen. Gloria did take the time to send Rigsby a note saying she'd been called away unexpectedly, but hoped they could meet up again in the not too distant future. It appeared Rigsby wasn't the only one smitten.


	31. Chapter 31 : A Bridge Too Far

**Chapter 31: A Bridge Too Far**

It was not without some trepidation that Lisbon approached their meeting with Minelli; ridiculous at it seemed it felt like she was taking her ne'er-do-well boyfriend to meet Mum and Dad for the first time. Unsurprisingly Minelli had heard about Jane and Lisbon through the grapevine; it was hardly earth shattering news, but he wished he'd heard it first hand from Lisbon, and he decided to play them along for a bit.

Minelli was secretly pleased for them; Jane hadn't disguised his interest in Lisbon anywhere near as well as he thought he had, and the older man had shrewdly observed the consultant's fascination with her. In the early days there was a childlike innocence to his offerings of food and silly gifts, which made the austere Agent Lisbon blush like a schoolgirl. Later they were offerings of a more penitent nature as his behaviour became more outrageous, and he tried to wheedle his way back into Lisbon's good books.

In the early days the team held Lisbon in awed respect, as she maintained a professional distance from them; in truth Lisbon hadn't quite got the hang of team building at that stage. As Jane broke down her defences with his outrageous plays and asinine behaviour, Lisbon had started to give a little bit of herself back to the team, and so the team had started to meld together to form the cohesive unit that existed today.

May was now a permanent fixture in Minelli's house, and she greeted the couple warmly. Minelli gruffly hugged Lisbon, not entirely hiding his pleasure at seeing her, Jane just received a brief nod of welcome. "Should have guessed you wouldn't be far behind."

"Nice to see you too Virgil." Jane responded warmly; without Minelli's faith in him at the outset, Jane would never have turned his life around. With the pleasantries out of the way they settled down to the serious business.

"There was talk about Bertram from the outset, but he's a smooth operator and nothing stuck. Madeline's corroborated much of what you report. She always had the feeling that there was an organisation within the organisation, but found it hard to pin anything down. Haffner also backs up what you say off the record, though I'm not convinced he'll testify. Even if there isn't a clear cut case to answer yet, there are grounds for the FBI to launch an investigation." Minelli concluded.

Lisbon's report starting from the time of her car crash, catalogued a whole series of events, which by themselves were serious, but taken as a whole formed a body of evidence that could not be ignored. It wasn't until she'd started to write them down that the magnitude of it all truly struck her. Life threatening attacks on Jane, Haffner, Cho and Rigsby, severe intimidation of Lisbon and Van Pelt, and worst of all Wainright's untimely death, which was undoubtedly an attempt to take the whole team out. At the very least Bertram had a charge of complacency and incompetence to answer to.

"So who would be dealing with this? You know the local FBI may well have been infiltrated." Jane ventured.

Minelli slapped his forehead. "Now why didn't I think of that Sherlock?"

Jane shifted his weight from foot to foot; he had forgotten quite how sharp Minelli was. Lisbon shot a warning glare at Jane. "Do you know the agents personally or has Madeline been the intermediary?" Lisbon took up the conversation, not wanting Jane to antagonise Minelli.

"Hightower set it up with an Agent Abbott, he has the reputation of being a tough cookie, leaves no stone unturned. I'm just forewarning you, just because you're the whistleblower doesn't mean he won't look into your team. If you have anything to hide, I suggest you come clean about it straightaway." Minelli fixed a piercing look on Jane.

"You know me Virgil, always walk the straight and narrow path." Jane deadpanned.

"Exactly, that's what I'm worried about." Virgil addressed Lisbon directly. "I assume he hasn't changed, still upsetting all the witnesses and crapping all over the evidence?"

Lisbon rolled her eyes "What do you think?"

"And you're still cleaning up after him?" Minelli knew the answer to that without waiting for the answer.

"He closes cases." Lisbon repeated the tried and trusted mantra. Minelli just harrumphed in response, as he observed the wayward consultant nonchalantly taking it all in.

"Excuse me, I'm still here." Jane piped up.

"No kidding," Minelli snarked. "And he finally got you to drink the Kool-Aid Teresa, can't see what the attraction is myself, though May tells me he's not without charm."

"May's a woman of exceptional taste on all counts." Lisbon responded warmly, "and yes my resistance was low, what can I say?"

Minelli knew Lisbon would be quite a handful, and Jane would have to work hard at making it work. "Well I'm pleased for you. I just hope Goldilocks here is up for the challenge."

Jane placed a hand on Lisbon's shoulder "I do believe I am Virgil."

Minelli nodded approvingly in Jane's direction then moved on to the practicalities. The FBI already had Lisbon's dossier, and had started background investigations. It was unlikely they would make a move for another week, unless something serious happened in the mean time.

* * *

The team had drawn the short straw and were on cover for the national holiday weekend, at least the atmosphere would be more relaxed with the other teams on holiday. Rigsby came into the bullpen with a swagger, "guess who's been headhunted by the San Leandro Corporation, they've invited me in for an interview. Apparently they've heard about my expertise as an arson investigator."

Both Cho and Van Pelt smiled enigmatically, they too had unsolicited responses in their mailboxes. "Why are you smiling" Rigsby was perplexed at their reaction.

"Apparently I've applied to Cisco and Quantico." Van Pelt replied.

"And I'm down for interview at Quantico as well." Cho added.

"Well congratulations, you were quick off the mark with your applications." Rigsby was pleased for them.

"The point is we didn't apply for anything, just think about it Rigs, who would apply for jobs for us?"Cho pointedly looked at Lisbon's office.

Rigsby's embarrassment at realising he hadn't been head hunted, soon turned to disappointment. "Doesn't the Boss think I'm up to Quantico?"

"Would you have gone?"Cho responded brusquely.

"Well no, I have commitments but the Boss doesn't know that?" Rigsby conceded it wouldn't have been a practical option for him.

Jane just chuckled at their exchanges, as he contemplated Elvis from his usual position.

"I bet you had a hand in this." Van Pelt said accusingly.

Jane held his hands up defensively."I assure you if she'd listened to me, you'd have been doing something infinitely more glamorous Grace."

Van Pelt tossed her head. "I bet, thank heavens for Lisbon. Anyhow what's she got lined up for you?"

"They're trying to cast Dorothy in the remake of the Wizard of Oz." Cho drily remarked, not looking up from his desk. The others laughed out loud remembering Minelli's caustic attack on Jane.

"I think you'll find Lisbon is more suited to Dorothy, but you my enigmatic friend would be perfect for Toto, he has a voice but simply chooses not to talk." Jane responded laconically.

Inevitably a discussion ensued about the roles best suited to the rest of the team, and finally Grace turned her attention to Jane. "Of course the Cowardly Lion springs to mind, but then I remember Oz was just a conman who used tricks and props to confound people, so naturally Jane would be the Wizard."

"Whatever " Jane murmured, he was happy to be the butt of their jokes, knowing these days would be few and far between. Noticing Lisbon making her way towards them he sat up and announced "And here comes Dorothy."

"Who?" Lisbon looked confused.

"Dorothy, you remember, Fifi Nix." Jane responded with a glint in his eye.

Lisbon shot Jane a quick glare, they had never told the rest of the team the true fate of Archie Bloom. Changing the subject quickly, she reverted back to work. "Right we're up. Elderly woman reported missing hasn't been seen for 36 hours, suspected abduction."

Jane grumbled. "Why can't SAC PD handle this?

"While the good folk of California are paying our wages, we do our duty. We can't sit around all day at the taxpayer's expense." She pushed a file into his hands. "Rigsby, Van Pelt see what you can find out about the missing person. Cho, Jane and I will canvas the area." It would have been useful to have Van Pelt with them, but they were conscious of keeping paired up for safety.

* * *

The missing woman, Alice Pettigrew, had been reported missing by her daughter; her mother's friend had alerted her when Alice repeatedly failed to answer the door. Alice never went out in the evenings apart from visiting her nearby friend, so when there was no sign of her the alarm was raised. Her daughter drove over from Lodi to Sacramento to find the house locked and the lights were all off. She let herself into the house, and had somewhat dramatically jumped to the conclusion that her mother had been abducted.

Lisbon started talking to the daughter Emily, while Jane and Cho checked the house over for clues. The first thing Jane noted was that there were no drag or scuff marks on the carpet, so presumably Alice walked out of the house. Jane listened in as Lisbon gently questioned the now distraught daughter. "Shall we sit down Emily while you tell me about your mother. Now when did you last see her?"

Emily paused guiltily before answering "It's about 3 weeks now, but I speak to her every few days."

Lisbon continued her gentle line of questioning. "So how did your mother seem the last few days, was anything bothering her?"

"No everything seemed fine. Mom doesn't really talk much about herself; she's proud and rarely complains. She's more interested in what the kids are doing; they're her pride and joy." Emily sniffed slightly.

Jane wandered through to the kitchen, and Lisbon heard the sound of the kettle being filled as Jane nosed around. There were empty packets of cup-a-soup in the trash can, it didn't look as if Alice was exactly enjoying a healthy diet. The cupboards had some biscuits and tinned products, but apart from a few basics the fridge was pretty empty. Jane noted the taps had levers on them for ease of use, and the kettle was lightweight, all suggesting Alice was struggling to handle things.

Jane sniffed the milk suspiciously before making the tea, and then carried the refreshments through to Lisbon and Emily. "Here try this, it will make you feel better." Emily gave Jane a watery smile as she took the cup.

"So what do you normally do when you visit your mother?" Jane asked casually.

"I always take her out for some lunch and do a bit of shopping. It's a treat for her to go out and it's less work for her." Emily responded.

"So you never actually see how your mother copes around the house. Her trash can is full of cup-a-soups, but aside from that I can see no real signs of cooking." Jane wasn't being judgemental, he just wondered if Emily only saw what she wanted to see.

Lisbon shot a glare at Jane, not knowing where he was going with this, and seeing Emily's face fall as she realised how little she knew of her mother's day to day life. They only spoke of superficial things, and never discussed the practicalities of her mother's life.

Emily swallowed hard to keep her composure. "She eats well enough when we go out, and she was always such a good cook. I just assumed that everything was ok. When I took her shopping she would never buy much, saying she could get what she wanted from the local shop." Emily looked down guiltily, "I never realised she wasn't looking after herself."

Lisbon didn't see where this was getting them and changed the line of questioning, while Jane methodically paced round the room. "I take it your mother doesn't have a mobile phone?"

"No she's no fan of technology, that age has passed her by." Emily would have liked her to have one, but Alice insisted they were a waste of money.

"Is she much of a reader?" Jane asked while he fingered the leaflet from the library that he had found on the side table.

"Oh yes she's an avid reader, and is always going to the library." Emily knew that much at least.

Jane realised they weren't going to get anything useful out of Emily, and he ventured outside where her neighbour was doing some gardening. Jane struck up a conversation."We're trying to find out what has happened to Alice, did you know her well?"

"Not exactly well, she's a bit reserved, but she's a lovely gentle woman, always got time for the young ones. She's gone rather frail of late, we keep telling her to call a taxi when she wants to go out, but she insists on using the bus. Don't know what she's saving her money for, she should spend it on herself." The neighbour had observed a steady decline in Alice's well being over the last year.

"What does she do with herself?" Jane was trying to build a picture of her life.

"Well she goes down to the local shops, but can't carry much. My wife tried to persuade her to use a shopping cart, but she wouldn't have it." The neighbour shook his head at her stubbornness.

Jane was getting the impression of a proud woman, trying her best to maintain her independence without asking for help. "Did she do anything social?"

"Yes, she and her friend Ella are always at the library. She's an avid reader and they run lots of social events at the library - trying to get the older generation used to computers and just meeting up together. It's one of life's ironies that the people who would benefit most from the digital world are so ill equipped to use it." The neighbour sagely observed.

Jane noticed Cho making his way back to them, after canvassing the rest of the neighbours and her friends to establish a pattern of events. It wasn't a particularly exciting life; Saturday she usually met with her friend, Sunday revolved around the church, and Monday was always Library day, and then the rest of the week was divided between occasional shopping trips, visits to the hairdresser and the park.

"Where's the library?" Jane enquired.

"Couple of blocks away."The neighbour responded.

"Did anyone see her out and about on Saturday?" Jane was getting the inkling of an idea.

"Yes someone saw her at the bus stop late Saturday afternoon." Cho could see Jane was on to something.

Jane turned to the neighbour "This bus route lead to the library?"

"Yes, stops right outside." The confirmation came.

"Well we can waste our time pulling up CCTV to track her journey, or we can just get someone to open up the library. My guess is she tried to change her books because the library would be closed today." Jane knew it was a hunch, but was rewarded when the local librarian agreed to meet them there, and sure enough they found Alice locked in one of the washrooms.

She must have had a turn and passed out in the washroom, while the library was closing, and she ended up locked in. She had maintained her composure and had kept herself going just drinking water and sucking on some mints from her handbag.

Alice apologised profusely for causing so much trouble to everyone, clearly embarrassed at what had happened. Her irritation was evident when her daughter tried to smother her with affection on their reunion, but ever reserved Alice just calmed her down, "Emily now don't fuss, I just want to have a rest in quiet."

It was a real problem dealing with someone that independent, Lisbon wondered how things would have been if her parents had survived. To her chagrin, she acknowledged that she would have still moved away and would be conducting a long distance relationship, in the way that millions of people did. It was all too easy to be judgemental, but with the busy lives people led today, they didn't always keep that close an eye on their elders. Still it was a satisfying conclusion and they were back in the office by the early afternoon.

* * *

On a good day Jennie would rise for a few hours in the morning, and then sleep in the afternoons, and would try and spend a couple of hours up with Karen in the evenings. From their ground floor flat she could watch the comings and goings in the street outside, and lived vicariously by observing the passersby. The regulars soon acquired nicknames, and Jennie pieced together imaginary life stories for them, and she would entertain Karen with her flights of fancy. It was Jennie's way of breaking the tedium of being an invalid, until she was able to start going out again.

After a gruelling few weeks spent largely in bed, she was starting to feel a bit better again, and could manage a few hours out of bed without any major repercussions. Jennie tried to keep things as light as possible, not wanting to weigh Karen down when Karen had so much to do.

Together they worked on the Cruz Missive updates each evening, targeting the chosen victim with a deadly barb. New Order weren't the only victims of Karen's waspishness, but there was no denying she had a particular interest in them.

The internet was buzzing this morning at the revelation of the Rutherford family's offshore holdings. There was in fact no illegality, but mud sticks, and even a hint of tax avoidance played badly in the court of public opinion. The US treasury had struck deals with many countries that required them to report back to the IRS on any accounts held by US taxpayers, and all of the Rutherford family dealings were strictly above board.

One of the more influential newspapers had led with the headline " _New Order but same old politics_." So much for being above the fray; Rutherford was being dragged down from her ivory tower into the bruising world of realpolitik. The mere inference of obfuscation had rendered the moral high ground to crumble beneath her feet.

Rutherford did the rounds of the media circuit conducting a damage limitation exercise, explaining her shares in the family business were held in a blind trust to prevent any conflict of interest. As always she put in a competent performance, but the perception was that she and the New Order were just like the other political parties, in it for themselves.

"You've really done it this time Karen. You've finally landed a blow on Rutherford." Jennie voiced her obvious pride at Karen's success.

"They don't know what's coming. I've found out a whole lot more about Bertram's ascent up the greasy pole." Karen had come across some very interesting loose ends that would seriously embarrass him.

"So where are you off to this afternoon?"Jennie liked to keep track of Karen's activities.

"Just meeting with one of Bertram's old aides, who couldn't stand the heat in the kitchen. He's not meeting me willingly, but knows he could be implicated if he doesn't co-operate." Karen was ruthless in the way she got her information; if persuasion and bartering didn't work, she wasn't above a degree of coercion.

"Don't push too far Karen, you know what these people are like." Jennie warned.

"Don't you worry, I know what I'm doing. Are you ready for a rest now?" Karen helped Jennie back to bed, turning round with a wink as she left. "Let's make these suckers dance to our tune."

Jennie settled contentedly in her bed, and drifted off to sleep to recharge her batteries. It couldn't have been more than an hour after Karen left, when Jennie heard the lock being tampered with. She pulled out her phone and tried to call Karen, but her phone was switched off and her message went to voicemail. Concerned about the potential intruders, Jennie called Lisbon.

Lisbon quickly answered the burner phone, recognising Jennie's number. "What's up Jennie?"

"Someone's trying to break into the flat and I can't get hold of Karen." She whispered into the handset.

"We're only 10 minutes away, we'll come straight over. Just stay on the line for now." Lisbon filled Jane in on the situation. "It's Jennie, we need to try and alert someone in the apartment block to get to Jennie while we're on our way. Get Van Pelt on to it. Here take the keys, you drive while I talk to Jennie."

"Is there anywhere you can hide a wardrobe perhaps?" As she spoke Lisbon heard the sound of men entering the apartment, it was evident the main living area was being taken apart. "Jennie you need to get out of the bed, they're bound to come in there. Can you get to the bathroom?"

"It's too late Teresa there's nothing I can do, they'll see me," though fearful there was a resigned tone to her voice. "If they get me Teresa, promise you'll look out for Karen. I dread to think how she'll react." The voices of the intruders were getting louder, before they reached her room Jennie just managed to say "Tell Karen I love her."

Lisbon listened helplessly as she heard the voices in the background, Jane was driving like a maniac to try and get there as soon as possible. Their only hope was that someone could be roused in the complex. Lisbon knew it could all be over in minutes, she had recognised Selby's voice in the background, and dreaded to imagine the extent of his brutality.

"Hey boss, come and look at this - she's talking to her girlfriend." The intruder had just picked up on the tail end of the conversation, and mistakenly thought Jennie was talking to Karen.

Jennie knew she was in trouble, they had obviously disabled the main security cameras, and had taken their masks off. If they weren't worried about her seeing them, it only meant one thing.

Selby chortled, "Well her girlfriend is just about to learn what happens to people who mess with us." He raised his voice so it would carry over the phone.

A stray tear trickled down Lisbon's face "Jane put your foot down, they've got Jennie." Jane cast a worried look in Lisbon's direction, he feared the worst.

Jennie may have been weak in body, but she was resolute in spirit. There were hidden cameras which the intruders would miss, so she would try and get them to incriminate themselves, at the least she could take them down with her."You know it's too late." She said defiantly. "Bertram's head is already in the noose, with what we know so far."

"So where is it you bitch?" The sound of Selby slapping Jennie and her pained reaction was loud and clear.

"Somewhere you'll never find it." Jennie spat out defiantly.

Selby dragged her up, locked her arm behind her back, and twisted it for maximum pain. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." He applied more pressure and Lisbon heard her yelp in pain.

"You're all going down," she hissed through her teeth, involuntarily crying out at the next onslaught of pain. Selby launched into a full scale attack on her, resistance was futile, stopping in between blows to try and get information from her. Jennie grimly defied him.

Selby's accomplice piped up. "Come on be quick, someone will be here any moment."

Selby got Jennie by the neck and snarled "Last chance you bitch."

"Go to hell."A defiant look graced her face, as she resigned herself to her fate.

"I hope your girlfriend hears what she's done to you, say goodbye now." Slowly he squeezed the life out of Jennie and left her lifeless body on the bed.

"Time to leave" he snapped at his accomplice, they put their masks back on and escaped out of the rear exit, so they could disperse back onto the street without drawing attention to themselves.

"It's over, she's gone." Lisbon sobbed, she wiped her eyes and hastily tried to compose herself to deal with what lay ahead.

Jane gritted his teeth, he had a lump in his own throat but held strong for Lisbon."It's not over, it's just beginning. Someone's going to pay for this. Let's bring the whole lot down Teresa."

The janitor had arrived in time to see two men fleeing down the corridor, the EMT's had been called although it was obvious all signs of life had been extinguished. The rest of the team turned up just behind them, Cho took a quick look at Lisbon's red eyes and inclined his head towards Jane enquiringly, a cursory shake of Jane's head confirmed his suspicions.

Leading the way into the apartment, Lisbon noted the CCTV cameras had been ripped off the walls and the main room had been systematically taken apart. Jane rested a hand on her shoulder, as she resolutely made her way through to the bedroom, he felt Lisbon tense, as she looked down on the lifeless figure stretched out on the bed before her. "She never stood a chance."Lisbon said bitterly "Why did they have to do this?"

"Part punishment, part gratuitous violence." Jane observed with detachment. Murder scenes never got any easier to deal with, especially when the victims were known to them. In the interests of their sanity, they had hardened themselves to act witha professional detachment, to distance themselves from the events before them.

Jennie's phone rang out. They looked at each other in trepidation when Karen's name flashed up on the screen, neither particularly wanting to be the one to break the news. Wearily Lisbon picked up the phone, not relishing the task in hand. Jane slipped his arm around her, holding her tight as she delivered the news. She would have preferred to do it face to face, but Karen had given her no choice.

Lisbon sighed heavily as she rang off and buried her face in Jane's chest for a moment. "You ok Teresa?" Jane whispered gently.

"Just give me a minute Patrick." Jane could feel her heart racing ten to the dozen, and gradually she channelled her sadness into rage. Lisbon raised her eyes to meet his. "We're going to nail that bastard to the cross before Karen gets to him. Karen will be a loose cannon now, there will be no holding her back."

Jane secretly thought it was Karen's right to take her vengeance, he couldn't ignore the obvious parallels between this and his own situation with Red John. Personally Jane wouldn't stand in her way, but he realised he wouldn't have any say in the matter and it was a race to see whether Lisbon or Karen nailed Bertram first.

* * *

 **A/N** The library story is based on a real story in Waco, Texas.

Hope this is easier to read than it was to write!


	32. Chapter 32 : The Road to Retribution

**Chapter 32: The Road to Retribution**

Naturally it came as no surprise when the ME confirmed that the ocular petechiae, combined with the marks on the neck, were conclusive proof of strangulation. The other injuries would be catalogued when the body was taken back to the morgue, but with the cause of death established the body could be removed offsite. There had been some debate whether to move the body before Karen returned, painful as it was, Jane wouldn't deny Karen the right to have the full picture. Ultimately Jane was overruled when Karen still hadn't returned half an hour later; personally Lisbon was relieved that Karen would be spared that experience.

There had been something decidedly off about the way Karen had handled the sad news. After a sharp intake of breath as the news sank in, an eerie calm had descended. There were no histrionics or threats of retribution; in fact it was marked by a distinct lack of curiosity about the details. Although in many respects that made it easier for Lisbon, it struck her as decidedly odd. Perhaps it was the shock, but something in Karen shut down at that moment. That streak of humanity that Jennie brought into Karen's life died with her, and what remained was a cold shell of a person.

Karen finally arrived as the body was being wheeled out, declining Lisbon's offer to see the body in private, she made a beeline for what appeared to be a keepsake box. She lifted the lid and methodically disconnected the hidden DVR and handed it to Lisbon. "Hidden cameras, it will all be on there."

Lisbon tried to express her condolences, but Karen just raised her hand to interrupt her. "Words change nothing, however well meant." It wasn't rudeness; Karen had just shut off from the normal conventions, if she believed in them at all. "I just need a few things." She motioned to the crime scene and Lisbon let her go through; the techs were finishing up and would ensure Karen didn't compromise any evidence.

After grabbing the bare necessities, Karen made to leave but paused briefly on seeing Jane staring at her. There was no attempt to comfort her, his unspoken words were written all over his face. Their mutual understanding was acknowledged by a deliberate slow blink of Jane's eyes in lieu of a nod, which may have caught Lisbon's attention. Karen gave him a twisted sardonic smile; there was no doubting her unvoiced intentions.

In the same situation Jane had succumbed to inconsolable grief, and it had taken him the best part of a year to channel those feelings of remorse into something bordering on a coherent quest for revenge. For much of that time he frankly hadn't cared whether he lived or died, until Sophie, then more importantly Lisbon, had given him a sense of purpose, and a degree of security that allowed him to work it through.

Karen was a completely different animal; the grief stage had been bypassed going straight to cold visceral rage. No doubt she had loved Jennie, as much as she was capable of loving anyone, but there was an inherent ruthlessness to Karen. Once set on the path to retribution, there would be no stopping her until her goal had been achieved.

There was a sense of déjà vu as Jane watched Karen set off on her mission. Where Jane had employed guile and subterfuge, Karen would be more direct, not constrained by having to work within the system. Jane had never expected to survive his quest for revenge, and on Karen's departure the words of Confucius came back to him. _"_ _Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."_

* * *

As they made their way back to the car, Lisbon finally voiced what had been nagging her. "What was that between you and Karen?" She examined his face intently for any sign of artifice.

Resisting the temptation to make light of her question, Jane answered honestly. "Nothing as such, but obviously I feel a degree of empathy with her. It would be hypocritical of me to say otherwise, although I won't actively help her, but please don't expect me to feel any regrets if she achieves her goal before we do."

The veracity and directness of his reply sat better with Lisbon than a half hearted attempt at deflection, and she responded with a degree of resignation. "It may be out of our hands before long anyhow, but in the meantime I intend to do my best to pursue this through the correct channels."

"I wouldn't expect any less of you Teresa." Jane said softly as he opened the car door for her.

Uncharacteristically handing over her car keys to Jane, Lisbon sat in the passenger seat contemplating their plan of action over the next few hours. They had the unenviable task of watching the CCTV footage, once Van Pelt had extracted the files. Lisbon wondered what effect it would have on Jane; it was a necessary part of the job, but even the most disciplined mind would find it hard to remain detached.

"Why don't you just say what's on your mind, before you bore a hole in my head staring at me." Jane knew something was bothering her.

"Don't you think it was strange that Karen didn't want to know more? She doesn't even seem interested in who'd killed Jennie." Lisbon found Karen's reaction harder to understand than Jane did.

"Selby was just a foot soldier; it doesn't really matter who he is, though no doubt her network will feed that information back to her in due course. She's got her sights set higher, and if I'm not mistaken she will be taking as many people down as she possibly can. Karen's revenge will be slow and exacting; her barbs will be every bit as lethal as the assassin's gun." Jane thought they had a couple of days to play with before she went after Bertram, he guessed the next few days would be about destabilising the status quo and whipping the press into a frenzy.

* * *

A quick call to Minelli had kept him up to date on events; they all agreed an intervention was imperative before the situation at the CBI descended into anarchy, with rival units at each other's throats. It was untenable that the situation could carry on like that and the FBI needed to make their presence known.

The team had set up in one of the conference rooms, which had been swept for bugs both in and around the vicinity, just in case there were any long range devices. Not wishing to put it off any longer, Lisbon asked Van Pelt to start the playback. The hidden cameras had been angled to face the doors to identify any intruders; in some ways it was a blessing that they couldn't see Jennie's face for most of the attack, sadly the final onslaught when she was dragged down the bed was only too visible. Recalling the conversation vividly, Lisbon was braced for what was coming. Jane's face went white with anger and his lips fixed in a grim line. Unable to watch the gratuitous brutality, Jane averted his eyes, not needing to see the excruciating detail played out on screen. All that mattered were the identities of the two men and the detail of the conversation, to see if anyone else had been implicated. They all recognised the accomplice as Hughes, one of Selby's team. He might be easier to break than Selby, and quite frankly they had no stomach to humour Selby. He deserved what he had coming.

Van Pelt's face hardened, she would willingly take them out herself, the ingénue they had first encountered was a distant memory."Count me in. I'll have the bastard."

"Me too." Rigsby added with real menace. Violence to women was one thing he couldn't tolerate, and he had a mean streak when roused. Cho knew he would need to keep Van Pelt and Rigsby on a tight rein when they took Selby in.

Cho cast a worried look in Lisbon's direction, but was reassured to see she was in control, more so than Jane by the looks of it. "So Boss, are we doing this by ourselves or shall I call Haffner? If we're taking Hughes and Selby down at the same time, the extra hands would be useful." Cho's practical approach was just what they needed.

"Yes, call Ray and explain the situation to him. We're going to need to set up a safe house until we can hand them over to the FBI, they won't be safe here. Once word gets out they've been arrested, they're marked men." Lisbon echoed Cho's businesslike demeanour.

Jane finally roused himself from his brooding silence."Won't all the safe houses be well known in Law enforcement? Cho ask Haffner if Visualize have got any retreats we could use, I'll talk to Stiles myself if needs be."

"Do you really think that's a good idea Jane?" Cho was surprised Jane would want to involve Visualize.

"Probably not, but if we try and rent somewhere a quick check of our credit cards will give our position away. It's not easy to get that sort of cash at short notice this time of night, and I haven't exactly got time to find a card game tonight." Jane thought ruefully of the day when he had finally succumbed to Lisbon's influence, and had dispensed with his strategically stashed cash reserves.

"Ok, so we'll take Selby, and Haffner can take Hughes and then we'll meet up at the safe house. Turn your work phones off now, burners only from now on." Cho took command of the situation to ease Lisbon's burden. An appreciative smile was his reward, Lisbon knew he would make a fine leader when he had his own team; it was time Cho went out by himself.

After confirming the details with Haffner, Cho revealed that Haffner had a secluded lodge in the Eldorado Forest and was prepared to let them use that, rather than approach Visualize. They would co-ordinate their raids, so that neither Selby nor Hughes could alert the other.

* * *

After years of working with Jane the team had picked up some dubious skills, and Cho effortlessly picked Selby's lock allowing them to surprise Selby in his room, where he was overcome with minimal effort. Van Pelt twisted his arm up his back a little more than was strictly necessary before cuffing him, eliciting a stream of curses and invective from Selby. A self satisfied smile passed over Van Pelt's face as she roughly pushed Selby forward into Rigsby's path. The big guy mad dogged Selby just wanting an excuse to let fly. Much as Cho sympathised, he had to calm things down, cool heads were the order of the day.

Cho placed some tape over Selby's mouth to stop him from raising alarm, before unceremoniously dumping Selby in the boot. Cho quickly checked in with Lisbon and Jane, who had made their way to the cabin in advance, they confirmed Haffner also had his man and they would meet up again in a couple of hours.

In different circumstances Jane would have loved to have spent some time in the lodge, its rustic finish suited the setting. The lodge was isolated with no near neighbours, and was set in a small clearing high in the forest. They set about getting a small fire going and sorting out some refreshments for the returning teams. As advised by Haffner, there were two rooms which were suitable for detaining their prisoners, situated at opposite corners of the lodge, and the rooms were set out ready for their arrival.

Haffner was the first to arrive with Hughes; for once Lisbon had no problems with Jane putting Hughes in a trance to ensure he stayed quiet and slept for the next few hours. He was cuffed to the bed frame and his ankles were zip locked together, while Agents Ford and Lang took turns to keep guard.

Not long after, they heard the sound of Cho's SUV making its way up the stony drive. Jane escorted them to the room assigned to Selby, where they finally removed Selby's blindfold. Disorientated as he was, Selby couldn't miss the menace of situation, the two remaining agents Rigsby and Van Pelt just glowered in his direction. However the threat came from an unexpected source, and when Lisbon and Haffner came up to join them, they found Selby doubled up in eye watering pain.

"Jeez, what have I told you?" Lisbon raised her voice in exasperation at the lack of discipline. Van Pelt and Rigsby both raised their eyebrows and looked pointedly at Jane.

"You?" Lisbon shouted incredulously. She had never known Jane land the first blow, Lisbon was sure she saw Haffner's eyes crinkle in amusement.

Jane shrugged. "He had it coming, that one's for Jennie." Left to their own devices, the two agents and Jane would have had no compunction teaching Selby a lesson, the memory of what he had done to Jennie was still fresh in their minds. Fortunately Lisbon had instilled a degree of restraint into her team, and it was ironic that the über controlled consultant had been the first one to crack.

Cho joined them and immediately looked accusingly at Rigsby. "Not me dude, not this time anyhow." A smirk passed Cho's face when the culprit was revealed.

Sensing tensions were high, Lisbon judged that a little time out would be wise. She would take the first watch, and then Cho would take over, as they appeared to be the only ones who hadn't lost their heads. Van Pelt and Rigsby shuffled guiltily, knowing Lisbon had taken the first watch because she didn't entirely trust them.

Jane pattered around making hot drinks for everyone, while keeping an eye on Lisbon. The rest of the team tried to get some much needed sleep, in anticipation of what would undoubtedly be another taxing day. The sound of Haffner bringing his empty cup to the kitchen roused Jane from his thoughts."Ah Haffner, can I get you another drink - tea or coffee?"

"Nothing for me Jane, I'm going to try and sleep." Haffner allowed himself a slight smirk, as he decided to give Jane a taste of his own medicine. "So a man of hidden talents, never figured you'd be handy with your fists."

Jane bristled uncomfortably. "What can I say, my inner beast took over."

"Patrick Jane, the epitome of calm, out of control. Never thought I'd see the day." Haffner just kept prodding away.

"Ah well, enjoy it while you can, I assure you it won't happen again." Jane was determined not to respond to the gentle baiting.

"Always wondered what a red blooded woman like Teresa saw in a guy in a three piece suit, always figured she'd go for more of the action type." Haffner looked slyly at Jane, wondering how far he could push him.

"You know what they say about judging a book by its covers." Jane's responses were measured but weary.

"To think we all just thought you were a foppish dilettante, too refined to enter the fray." The little digs continued.

"Well the Carney circuit isn't exactly a breeding ground for the faint hearted; you learn how to look after yourself. I soon learned the hard way that violence is only to be used sparingly." The surprising candour stopped Haffner in his tracks.

"Guess so, still you surprised us all there Jane. I'm off now" Haffner got as far as the doorway, when Jane called him back. "I don't think I've thanked you for all the help, we really appreciate it."

Haffner snorted. "It's Lisbon we're helping, not you."

"There you go again, you just had to spoil a beautiful moment." Jane shook his head in mock disapproval.

Haffner laughed on his way out; he and Jane would always have a fractious relationship, but they were starting to get the measure of each other.

* * *

Finally Lisbon handed over to Cho and managed to get some rest before the interviews began; it wasn't long before her phone rang and Jane deftly removed it from her pocket without waking her.

"You're a braver man than me Jane, answering Lisbon's phone." Minelli joked.

"She's been up all night, and is having some well earned rest. What news do you have for us Virgil?" Jane shook off his own lassitude, to give his full concentration to the conversation.

"The FBI will arrive unannounced sometime in the next few days. Tell everyone to be prepared. Jane if you have anything you don't want them to find – move it now. Lisbon will be held responsible, even if you're at fault."Minelli cautioned.

"Do they know we've got Selby and Hughes in a safe house?" Jane knew they had no alternative, but was concerned about the repercussions on Lisbon.

Minelli reassured him on that score. "Yes Abbott's fine with that. He thinks it's a bit extreme, but there will be no come back on that. When you've conducted your interviews, you and Lisbon need to get back to the CBI. There'll be questions to answer and Abbott expects you to be there, Haffner too. Just remember Jane, go by the book, Abbott's a stickler for protocol."

With all the background noise, Lisbon was staring to rouse. Jane couldn't hide an indulgent smile when he saw her hair was all mussed up on the one side. "Morning, you may want to do something with your hair, if you want to maintain your air of authority. Go and sort yourself out while I make some coffee." When she returned, the wayward hair had been tamed into a functional bun at the nape of her neck. Lisbon hugged the steaming coffee, inhaling its aroma until it was cool enough to drink, and listened intently as Jane repeated Minelli's instructions.

* * *

A plan of action was agreed with Haffner; a camera was set up so they could all watch the video of Hughes being interviewed. Brushing aside Jane's suggestion that he could have Hughes singing like a canary, if they just left him alone with Hughes for 5 minutes, the interview started with Cho and Jane working in tandem.

"You know why you are being held here rather than the CBI?" Cho started.

"I want my lawyer, I'm not saying anything."Hughes answered defiantly.

"Fine that's your prerogative, but I should tell you this is a onetime offer to come clean. We know what happened and don't have any time to waste, so I suggest you have a quick look at this and reconsider."

Hughes face fell as Cho played him a sample of the recording. "Hidden cameras." Jane added helpfully. "Every word and deed is on record from the moment you broke in."

Cho took the lead again. "If you co-operate with us, you will be handed over to the FBI and held in a safe facility out of state, pending trial. We may be prepared to broker an agreement to offset the severity of the charges if you agree to co-operate."

"Drop the charges, then I'll talk." Hughes weakly tried to barter.

"No deal. The evidence is damning, moreover now we've identified you, we can pull up your phone records to check if there's anything linking you to other incidents. I'll leave this offer on the table for another minute, after that you'll face the full force of the law." Cho leant back against his chair, holding Hughes in an inscrutable gaze. As the minute came to an end, Cho went to close his notebook and stood up. "Fine, you've made your decision."

Before Cho reached the door, Hughes finally broke. "OK, but I'm not sure what you think I can tell you, I'm just a small cog in the machine."

Cho returned to his seat in a businesslike manner, and he and Jane set about extracting everything Hughes could tell them.

Satisfied that they didn't have to try and cut a deal with Selby, Haffner and Lisbon took great satisfaction in informing Selby that he would be facing the full force of the law. Selby continued to deny everything until they finally played the recording to him. His attempts to cut a deal were immediately denied, and as soon as the legal requirements had been met, the interview was wound up. The FBI would be responsible for bringing charges, but at least Selby would be gift wrapped when they handed him over.

* * *

 **A/N** A somewhat rushed update, work is crazy at the moment and my brain is distinctly frazzled.


	33. Chapter 33 : The Cavalry Arrives!

**Chapter 33 –** **T** **he Cavalry Arrives!**

Apart from Karen's slightly breathless appearance, there was little indication to the outside world of the tragedy that had unfurled. The erratic breathing was a symptom of the unbearable tightness taking a grip on Karen's chest, the arrhythmia of her heart starving her of much needed oxygen. She held herself steady, lest she was overcome by the heady feeling of her world spinning out of control. Her manicured nails dug deep into her arm, until the resultant pain distracted her focus away from her pounding heart. Finally the moment of weakness that had threatened to engulf her was overcome, and she regained a semblance of composure. Karen shuddered disgustedly at her weakness; there was no place for that, there was work to be done before the night was out.

Limbering up to loosen her tensed up muscles, Karen won the battle with her temporarily enfeebled body. "Mind over matter." The mantra was mumbled repeatedly. Karen fled in the direction of the gym, where she stored her emergency stash in the event a quick retreat was required. She surveyed the locker purposefully, trying to ignore Jennie's go to bag that lay beside her own. At least Karen could maintain a veneer of respectability, by utilising the gym facilities for showering and changing. Tempting as it was to let it all go, it would be self indulgent and detract from her purpose.

There would be was no room for emotion in the next few days, Karen hardened herself further as she mentally organised her plan of action. A quick wash and brush up, followed by a shot of much needed caffeine served to sharpen her purpose. Recovering her back up iPad from the locker, Karen made her way to the diner, where she had recently met up with Gloria. The owner was a long time informant of Karen's, and would be happy to let Karen tap into their Wi-Fi and work away in the background. Tipping the waitresses liberally, Karen arranged for her coffee cup to be replenished at regular intervals. Despite the nagging nausea, she took on some high energy snacks to keep her sugar levels up through the long night. Discipline was essential to keep going; she viewed her body with almost military detachment, it was just a machine to be refuelled until her mission was complete.

There was a grimace on her face as she fired up the tablet and went onto her cloud drive. Were people really that naive that they thought she would keep copies of her files at home? Their hard drives had been routinely cleansed of any incriminating files; no one in their right minds would store anything that sensitive at home.

A cruel smile twisted her lips as she perused the options of potential targets. It would be impossible to disseminate all the information herself, but she had contacts with Cyborg, the cyber activists, who could carry on her work after she was gone. Karen had no doubt she would shortly be joining Jennie in the unquiet slumbers in the quiet earth. It was liberating, in that it stripped her conscience of any responsibility for the consequences of the damaging leaks. So what if careers were ruined and reputations were tarnished? She would leave the best to last, and lull her intended victims into a false sense of security.

Selecting the files for Cyborg, she pressed send, and relaxed briefly as she considered how Cyborg's higher profile would make sure the shit really hit the fan. Karen's own interests were now of a much more parochial nature, and her targets were decidedly closer to home.

The night wore on, people drifted in and out, some trying to sober up on their way home, others seeking sustenance and shelter from the cool night. The early morning workers stopped by for a quick coffee, barely noticing the hunched figure in the corner, relentlessly typing away. The shifts had changed, and Mel the diner owner brought her over some fresh coffee and pancakes. Karen went to reach for her money. "It's on the house Honey." News had got round of Jennie's demise, and this was Mel's way of showing solidarity with Karen. A brief nod acknowledged the gesture; Karen returned to her work, picking occasionally at the necessary fuel before her.

Karen's clock may have been frozen in time, but city life ticked on around her, as the juggernaut of the waking city tumbled out on to the sidewalk and streets outside. The slumbering city had experienced a rude awakening with the gathering storm on twitter. Karen had released her Cruz Missives, each targeted to land with unnerving accuracy. The Mayor's office would shortly be besieged, when his interest in the prime riverside developments was revealed. The city planners had controversially approved the upmarket development, ignoring the original plans for the much needed low cost social housing. No doubt the Mayor's diverse and lascivious peccadilloes would fill the tabloid front pages for days, for those less interested in more lofty matters.

One could barely imagine the panic passing through the judiciary poker fraternity, when it was revealed that Judge Manchester's losing streak had left him indebted to people, who you really didn't want to upset. It seriously cast doubt on his decision to throw some fiercely contested cases out of court, on the grounds of lack of evidence. Although the CBI was seething at the time, little did they know that this was partially a consequence of Jane passing on some poker tips to Bertram. After a prolonged losing streak, Bertram had come back and had cleared Manchester out. Like the big beasts they espoused to be, neither would back down and the stakes got higher. Manchester being convinced his luck would eventually turn, had gotten more and more reckless until he was in well over his head in debt.

* * *

Van Pelt had been keeping the CBI team up to date on the latest revelations; it was no particular surprise that Judge Davis had been accused of bending to the will of a blackmailer, in a bid to cover up her daughter's miscreant behaviour. Davis had never shown much backbone over anything.

There was general surprise that unlike some of his colleagues in the DA's office, Ardilles emerged unscathed. Perhaps the cheap tasselled loafers should have been a giveaway that he wasn't on the take.

The roll call of the shamed continued throughout the morning, bureaucrats caught with their fingers in the till, environmental schemes compromised where there was a conflict of interest; the web of corruption spread well outside public office. Hospitals, the business fraternity and utility companies were all being held to account. Curiously law enforcement had been exempt from the initial wave of accusations.

Lisbon and Jane had returned to the CBI in advance of Abbott's impending visit. The place was abuzz with rumours, the absence of both Lisbon's and Haffner's teams had caused some speculation. No one could get hold of Selby or Hughes, and the remaining members of Selby's team were on tenterhooks nervously speculating why their co-workers were off radar. Without Selby's resounding presence casting a bellicose spell over proceedings, they appeared neutered and harmless.

Other than dealing with some routine matters Lisbon had no heart to do much else, and she finally accepted the futility of just shuffling papers, which in all likelihood would never be read. Sitting back in her chair to relish the freshly brewed coffee, she eyed Jane speculatively. "So this it, the end of an era." Lisbon spoke without rancour. "Who'd have thought, when you first stumbled into my life, that we would end up like this?"

"Any regrets Teresa?" Jane gently enquired.

"Professionally, on balance no. Of course there are things I would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight. I probably shouldn't have fallen in with your plans so easily, but we closed cases. If I have a regret, it's that I was too wrapped up in the job, tried too hard to prove myself, and shut myself off from everyone for years."

"It's your nature to throw yourself into whatever you do. When this is over I'd like to think we could channel some of that enthusiasm into our life together." His words were earnest and heartfelt.

"What do you want to do, when this is over Patrick?" Lisbon thought Jane might have left when Red John died, but was relieved when he stayed on.

"Be with you." He answered simply.

"No, you must have some ideas; you can't just be my shadow." Lisbon insisted.

"We'll get you sorted, and work from there. You're right I need something to occupy me, but until we find out how things are going to pan out, it's largely academic. For now I'm content just to be with you."

Lisbon's eyes dropped to her desk, finding it hard to deal with his disarming honesty. Not long ago the prospect of her career coming to a premature halt, would have horrified her, but she found herself strangely untroubled by it. Pursing her lips slightly, she raised her eyes to meet his. "For what it's worth I'm content too Patrick. More than I ever thought I would be."

It was hard to describe how her words made Jane feel; his whole being was suffused by uncharacteristic warmth. Neither were by nature demonstrative, but they could convey in unspoken looks, what others would struggle to say in words. The sound of approaching footfall roused them from their reverie; the footsteps loomed loud and clear in the preternatural quiet of the largely deserted offices. Jane pulled himself upright, put his cup to one side, awaiting the inevitable knock on the door.

Without waiting for an invitation, Abbott entered the office accompanied by his deputy Agent Fischer, a slightly haughty but attractive looking woman. Jane stood to greet them; Lisbon steadfastly remained seated, not wishing to cede any authority to the visiting agents.

"Patrick Jane." Abbott's voice boomed "So glad to finally meet you. Agent Hightower has filled me in about you."

Jane responded with his trademark charm, catching the attention of Agent Fischer, who's eyes lingered fractionally too long on the charismatic consultant. Lisbon took note, but continued to play it cool, sensing Abbott would soon drop this genial act.

Abbott assumed a sterner tone, establishing his authority. "And Agent Lisbon, I wish we could have met under different circumstances. As you've no doubt been informed, I will be assuming responsibility for the CBI, and the FBI will temporarily take on your case load, pending a decision on the CBI's future."

Replying with professional courtesy, Lisbon couldn't resist a jibe at the FBI; there was no love lost between the rival organisations. "Nice to meet you too Agent Abbott, although as I am sure you are aware, the CBI isn't the only Californian agency with problems; the local FBI has also been infiltrated."

"Touché Agent Lisbon. But the situation there hasn't reached a critical point yet, as far as I'm aware they haven't resorted to kidnapping and interrogating each other yet." Abbott's eyes betrayed a hint of a smile, though his face was stern.

The irony was not lost on Lisbon, who coloured slightly, unable to refute the pointed response. Seeing her discomfiture, Jane took over the reins. "That of course is the pressing issue; we need to hand the prisoners over to you as soon as possible, so we can relinquish our duties."

Agent Fischer gave Jane a withering look."We'd heard that you like take control of things, but let me remind you who is in charge."

"We know who's in charge, so I'm surprised you feel the need to remind us. Unless it's a reflection of some underlying insecurity. Let me guess, you've risen through the ranks in the wake of Abbott's more meteoric rise, one step behind him all the way. Possibly you're unsure of your ability to function in the wider world, and have chosen to take refuge holding on to his coat tails." Jane's rapier like thrust pierced her armour.

Normally Lisbon would have been incensed by an attack like that on a female agent, but she sensed there was more than a grain of truth in Jane's assertions. Abbott raised his hand to still the conversation, before a rather indignant Fischer had the chance to respond. "I have to say I find it hard to believe that you couldn't have detained the suspects here under guard, however that's academic now. Mr Jane what did you have in mind?"

Jane calmly laid out the plan. "We would suggest that Selby is brought in first by Agent Haffner's team, and when the handover has been successfully completed, Lisbon's team will bring in Agent Hughes."

Lisbon felt duty bound to point out the risks, though she knew they wouldn't take any notice. "I know you're sceptical about the potential dangers, but we've lost too many witnesses here over the last few years. Have you considered using an alternative venue?"

Abbot quirked an eyebrow, and added with more than a touch of sarcasm. "I'm sure with all our resources at the FBI, we're more than capable of keeping a prisoner safe Agent Lisbon."

"Very well, we'll arrange the handover." Lisbon quickly sent a text to Cho to confirm the arrangements. As a matter of courtesy she let Haffner know what was going on, and suggested he joined them in her office.

* * *

Haffner arrived soon after, and introduced himself to the visiting agents. Fischer started on the attack once again."So Agent Haffner, I've been reading your file. How do you rationalise your activities as an officer of the law with your membership with Visualise?"

Incredulous that this issue should be raised at this juncture, Haffner's ire started to rise."What the hell has that got to do with anything? As far as I am aware being a member of a registered religion is not against any rules, I'm sure you haven't questioned Agent Lisbon about her beliefs."

Fischer was clearly having a bad day; she was trying too hard to be Abbott's attack dog but severely underestimated the calibre of the people she was dealing with. Jane and Lisbon exchanged looks of amusement, as the flustered Agent struggled to recover her equanimity. "We need to make the three of you aware that your teams will not be excluded from any investigations, and as of tomorrow morning the CBI will officially cease to operate. If any of you hold out any hopes of future careers in law enforcement, we would suggest that you co-operate fully."

If her words were designed to intimidate the CBI employees, they clearly did not have the desired effect. Haffner just laughed; he took his badge out and slammed it down on the table. "Here take this now; I'm done with law enforcement. I only came back to find out who attacked me, and to help out Agent Lisbon, who rescued one of my agents from a similar fate."

Abbott intervened, "There's no need to be so hasty Haffner, no one is accusing you of anything."

"Figure there's no future for me here, with such narrow minded views prevalent. Once my team hands Selby over, I'm done. If you want to talk to me you can come and find me." Haffner just shook his head, and directed a derisory glare at Fischer before leaving.

Jane's eyes crinkled in amusement, as Fischer shot a worried look at her boss. Jane didn't want to make things any worse for Lisbon, but he couldn't resist a little dig. "Always good when things go to plan isn't it?"

Abbott needed to get back in control of things. "Fischer can you go and organise the prisoner handover, and sort out a safe place to detain him." Welcoming the opportunity to make her exit, Fischer left without a word.

"Alrighty then. I don't think we've got off to the best of starts here." Abbott commented wryly. "I've read your report Lisbon. I have to ask why nothing was done sooner."

Lisbon took her time to respond, it was a fair question. "Initially we thought it was a much more localised problem, which stemmed from the Odenthal case. Once that was dealt with, we naively thought things would settle down again. It was only later that we realised that the corruption was endemic in the organisation."

Abbott nodded his head, acknowledging the logic of her statement. "So why didn't you refer the matter at that stage?"

"To whom? The evidence was flimsy at the least; I can tell you're sceptical even now. The further up the tree we looked, the less we trusted the people." Lisbon candidly replied.

Jane decided to back up Lisbon's case "Until it became apparent that the Del Paso Heist was just a front for an attempt to recover incriminating evidence, we had nothing concrete to work with. The copy emails and the dossier could not be authenticated, Jennie Davis was taken sick before she could get too involved, and of course she was the most recent victim. We were aware that branches of this Poison Tree had spread well outside law enforcement, but again it was largely supposition. It was the activities of Karen Cross, and our own covert investigations into Bertram, that eventually started to hint at a dubious past and a propensity to brush aside any opposition."

Jane paused briefly, observing Abbott's reaction. "Bertram's involvement with New Order gave him the chance to be at the forefront of something new and exciting. He was able to indulge the more Machiavellian side of his character, scheming and exerting his shady influence in the background behind a charismatic leader, who was pushing a whole new agenda. _'_ _There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.'_ Machiavelli's words encapsulate the risks of the project; Bertram's task was to turn uncertainty to certainty, by whatever means necessary."

"But where's the evidence Jane? I don't doubt what you say, but we can't act on this." Abbott needed more than supposition.

Lisbon opened her desk, and took out the recording of Jennie's murder, together with the recorded interviews of Hughes and Selby. "These will give you the evidence you need against Selby and Bertram, coupled with the largely circumstantial evidence in my report, you should be able to make something stick."

Lisbon's phone indicated an incoming text; she quickly looked down, then informed Abbott of Selby's imminent arrival.

"Look we'll leave this for now. I want to oversee the handover myself. When are you agents bringing in Hughes?" Abbott was pleased for an excuse to get away.

"When the first handover has been successfully concluded, then we will all stand down." Lisbon responded.

There was a flicker of irritation on Abbott's face, that they seemed to be checking the integrity of the FBI's security before handing over the second man, but he left without comment.

Lisbon looked curiously at Jane. "I wondered why you suggested we handed Selby over first, but I get it now. He's the tethered goat, to see if we can draw out any attack."

Jane didn't bother to refute her suggestion. "Well we wouldn't want to lose Hughes; his testimony is far more valuable. Unless the FBI go against our recommendation and cut Selby a deal, they are unlikely to learn anything much from Selby." It was a reflection of how sceptical Lisbon had become over the last few weeks, that she accepted it without any argument.

* * *

They checked in with the team, and promised to get back to them as soon as the handover was complete. Word soon got round the CBI about Selby's arrest, and Jane knew the next few hours would be critical. The FBI had set up agents at either end of the holding cells, so no-one could come and go. Fortunately the cells were empty apart from Selby; otherwise what ensued could have been catastrophic. A fast acting neurotoxin was released into the inlet of the air-conditioning unit feeding the cells, rendering Selby unconscious before he had time to raise the alarm. While performing a periodic check through the observation panel, the FBI agent in attendance observed Selby had collapsed. Before he rushed in to check on Selby, he noticed a wispy discharge from the air outlet, and had the wherewithal to set off the alarms and initiate the immediate evacuation of the buildings, until decontamination was complete. They had no option but to leave Selby unattended, the agents on duty were themselves taken to hospital, to check for any signs of the toxins.

Abbott and Fischer both looked shell shocked, taken aback at the ruthless efficiency of the operation. Jane offered some consolation "I'm not surprised an attack was mounted, but even I wouldn't have expected that. There was nothing you could do."

"But who would have that type of knowledge?" Abbott guessed few people would have the skill to carry out this audacious attack.

"Forensics would be well versed in toxins, and poison is one of their favoured weapons. At least that's where I would start looking. The security system has more than likely been hacked again. I doubt you'll be able to find out who's responsible." Jane said it all very matter of factly, before adding more seriously. "If you ever had any doubts, I hope you believe that we were not being paranoid about this. From the moment you enter this investigation, you will all become potential targets."

"So it would appear." Abbott acknowledged with a degree of understatement.

"Of course it's up to you, but in your position I would take Hughes out of state. He's the one you need to testify." Jane added for good measure.

Abbott concurred, finally starting to comprehend the scale of the problem they faced. "Ok, we'll organise that with your team. There's no point hanging around here, but we'll need you back in the morning to make formal statements. We'll leave Bertram out there for another day under surveillance before bringing him in, another day won't make any difference at this stage."

Much to Jane's surprise Lisbon linked arms with him as they walked out to the car park past Agent Fischer; it all fell into place when he saw Lisbon's sideward glance at Fischer."Well, well, well, I do believe Agent Lisbon is staking her claim."

"Too right I am Buster. I saw the way she looked at you, but don't let it go to your head." Lisbon flashed a quick grin at him.

"Uuum, I'm not sure I like this possessive side to you Lisbon." He struggled to keep a straight face, secretly relishing being claimed.

"Have I told you about the new trainer down the gym, muscles in places you couldn't imagine?" Lisbon retaliated with a twinkle in her eye.

"Honesty Lisbon, you should know by now the only muscle that counts, is the one between the ears, it's the source of all invention." Jane leant closer to her and whispered suggestively "And believe me, I'm at the height of my powers of invention."

* * *

 **A/N** It may be longer than usual before the next update, with work and the May Day holday coming up.


	34. Chapter 34 :No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

**Chapter 34 - No Good Deed Goes Unpunished**

It was with a heavy heart that Frances Rutherford asked Bertram to call by that night. Although there was a longstanding connection, Rutherford knew that the time had come to cut him loose. Although she had turned a blind eye to a lot of things, she had never sanctioned or condoned any acts of violence. Rutherford wasn't above gaining advantage from an opponent's downfall; after all if they hadn't put themselves in that position in the first place, they wouldn't have gotten into trouble. However the latest briefing from her aide-de-camp was profoundly disturbing; Bertram had stepped over line, and she would be guilty by association unless she took matters in hand. It had been tempting to delegate the task to one of her staff, but after all these years she felt she owed it to Bertram to deliver the news face to face.

Unaware of the reason behind the meeting, Bertram breezed in and pecked Rutherford on the cheek. "Frances you're looking particularly elegant today, if I might say so. Now what can I do for you?" The slight pull away from his greeting hadn't gone unnoticed, so he awaited her response with a degree of caution.

"Gale please take a seat. I'm afraid this isn't entirely a social meeting. I'll never underestimate the help and support that you have given me over the years, but I can no longer afford to be associated with you. If the reports reaching me are remotely true, I cannot condone what you have being doing." There was a glacial calm to Rutherford, as she admonished her erstwhile associate.

Bertram pursed his lips before allowing a sardonic smile to form. "Frances do you really think you can dismiss me like some subordinate? I don't work for you, and our association has suited you very well up to this point."

"Well it doesn't suit me now Gale, and we have to put some distance between us." Rutherford remained resolute.

"Come now Frances, don't be naïve _. Y_ ou can't choose when and where to look in the other direction. An intelligent woman like you must have suspected that the misfortunes that befell your opponents didn't just happen; they were crafted and meticulously planned. Things don't just fall into your lap like that; they have to be made to happen." Bertram's urbane tone did not waver, as he calmly countered her concerns.

"It's a question of degree though Gale, exposing an opponent's weakness is one thing, but the reports I'm hearing are way beyond that." Rutherford's stern response left no doubt of her opprobrium for his actions.

Bertram leant back in his chair, relaxed and at ease with situation."You could have stopped me at any time Frances; it suited you to ignore what was going on. It would be disingenuous to try and act the innocent now. I think you'll find I'm not as easy to dispense with as you think."

"Tell me Gale, did you ever believe what we were proposing?" A degree of exasperation crept into her voice.

Bertram laughed derisively."I'm not sure I believe in anything actually Frances. Frankly I've always found your ideas a bit _naïve_ , that's not how things work in the real world. Philosophy is all well and good for lofty debate, but in the real world things have to be made to happen. Do you seriously think you can transpose some anthropological model onto a group of disparate people? They're more worried about getting on in life and paying the bills, than being part of some altruistic project. Outside of closed societies, it's impossible to impose the kind of framework you advocate, people are individuals and always will be. They're not just pawns on some chessboard to be moved around to justify some half baked esoteric theory."

"We had a real opportunity to make a difference, but your actions make us as bad as, if not worse than everyone else." Rutherford glared at him accusingly.

" _Our_ methods Frances, please don't act the innocent with me." Bertram countered, unwilling to let her wash her hands of responsibility. "Do you really think your methods would work, if I hadn't got a strangle hold on the fabric of government already. People have to be _'persuaded'_ to comply at times, and your highfalutin ideals need a degree of enforcement to overcome the opposition to change."

"If you subvert ideals with compulsion, you soon cross the line between utopia and dystopia. This was supposed to be about empowering people to act in the common good, to create an egalitarian society. All you are interested in is power and self interest; that goes against everything we have preached." There was a zealous fervour to her argument.

Bertram laughed ironically as he rose from his seat, "Oh Frances, save that for people who don't know you. With your gilded lifestyle do you honestly think you know the first thing about ordinary people? I'll concede you sell a good story, hell people have fallen for it hook, line and sinker."

He viewed Rutherford dispassionately before unleashing his parting shot. "Just remember there are debts to be paid, and I'll be coming to collect before long. I have other pressing issues on hand, so it suits me to keep away for now. Just remember to hold a seat for me at the high table, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Mel had finally persuaded Karen to take a brief respite in his office; surprisingly she fell into a deep sleep for a few hours, only to be woken by the sound of her phone. Raj from Cyborg called to let her know that the first tranche of leaks would be hitting the internet shortly. All the major news outlets had been primed beforehand, for maximum impact on the early morning news. The business interests and union affiliations of some prominent State Senators, who aspired to high office, would certainly raise a few eyebrows. Cyborg would manage the timing of the disclosures carefully, to avoid the guilty being passed over in the tsunami of information overload. There was still plenty of time before the elections to ensure everyone had their fifteen minutes of notoriety.

Karen checked in with her contact in Bertram's office to establish his itinerary, before deciding on her plans for the morning. She settled down to work with renewed vigour; there was ice in her veins as she unleashed her final acts of retribution. Revenge was indeed a dish best served cold.

* * *

Abbott soon found himself with an embarrassment of things to deal with; he was barely keeping his head above water. The local FBI had itself been incriminated in the latest round of leaks, and Director Schulz insisted he dealt with the implications of those before turning his attention to the CBI. It was hardly appropriate to take control of the CBI, until their own house was in order.

Reede Smith was a known associate of Selby, and the latest leaks incriminated him of perverting the ongoing investigation into white collar crime. Some of the laundered funds had been diverted in his direction, in return for him turning a blind eye to some of the small scale operations. Naturally he wasn't stupid enough to leave a money trail, preferring to invest in diamonds, which were secreted in various depositories around the state. Ironically Smith himself had sustained a loss during the Del Paso Heist, and naturally hadn't been able to come forward and lodge a claim.

SACPD was being held to account for being heavy handed, their methods went beyond the normal intimidation sometimes employed behind closed blinds. It was a fact that even the most exemplary officers of the law, had to fight fire with fire when dealing with hardened criminals at times. But this had gone way beyond that, and the family of a young black man, who was guilty of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, had come forward to bear testament. It was the first in a stream of accusations of violence and intimidation of suspects and their families.

Ever the pragmatist, Abbott delayed taking any further action with the CBI. As an interim measure Selby's unit and their known associates would be suspended pending further investigation. Fischer was left in place to unofficially keep an eye on things at the CBI, while the remaining units just went through the motions for the next few days.

Bertram had been formally notified of the investigation by Schulz, but he was unaware that he was their prime target, he had been led to believe it was the lower echelons under scrutiny. Bertram had already made plans to deflect as much of the attention as possible further down the tree, it was an opportunity to settle a few old scores, and to set someone up to take the fall. For now he had been left in position, and he was confident he could turn this round to his own advantage at some stage.

* * *

Fischer was still nursing a grudge over her treatment yesterday, and had been talking to Spengler about the SCU team. Being unaware of Spengler's complicity in events, she took in his account without exercising a degree of scepticism. Off the back of that, she decided to launch her own investigation to present to Abbott on his return, in the hope of regaining some credibility.

So it was that Lisbon found herself in an interview room facing Fischer's questions. "That's quite a charge sheet you've got to answer for Agent Lisbon. I see you've already served suspensions for anger management, and plotting against your own director. There's also a DUI charge that got dropped because you manipulated the media into taking up your cause."

"Actually I took no active part in that, and besides the charges were fabricated. There was no case to answer to. I thought you were here to investigate the bad guys, why are we doing this here and now?" Lisbon didn't bother to hide her frustration at the latest attempt to besmirch her name.

"You neglected to protect your team, attempts on their lives went unreported, and because of your failure to call for backup, a valuable witness was lost." Fischer doggedly persisted.

"Agent Fischer, we willingly volunteered most of this information. You know full well why we took the actions we took."Lisbon was damned if they were going to go over the same ground again.

Undeterred Fischer pressed forward. "So you say. Agent Spengler has also mentioned something of interest to me. Apparently you and Jane visited the hospital where McAllister was being treated, and Jane was with him just before he died. Would you care to elaborate?"

Lisbon realised this was a tricky one to answer, and guessed Spengler had set them up. She chose her words carefully and answered with a degree of ambiguity."McAllister was a key part of the conspiracy, and Jane needed to check some facts before he died."

"The medical staff noted that the drug feed had been damaged, when they were disconnecting the equipment. What do you know about that? Jane could be liable for prosecution if he's remotely complicit." Fischer delivered her sucker punch with a degree of satisfaction.

"I suggest you ask Director Bertram that question, he was with McAllister before we arrived." Lisbon batted her attack away with aplomb, but was nevertheless relieved when the interview drew to a close.

Lisbon guessed there were moves afoot to besmirch the team, if Bertram was going down he was going to put up a fight. Jane needed to be forewarned about Fischer's line of questioning; unwittingly she could raise a whole load of awkward questions for them. Jane had been watching proceedings from a distance, and had resisted the temptation to intervene, but the little furrow between Lisbon's eyes was a sure sign that she was worried.

* * *

As soon as they had the opportunity to compare notes, Lisbon apprised Jane of Fischer's line of enquiry. Jane took it all in thoughtfully. "Uumm, I don't suppose we should really be surprised by this. What better way to discredit any evidence, than by bringing his accuser's into disrepute? Bertram has no idea how damning the case against him is, so it's only natural he would start a counteroffensive. I suppose we should be grateful that he's attacking our reputations, not targeting us in other ways." Jane guessed another dead cop would point more suspicions in Bertram's direction, but perhaps they should be more circumspect for their own safety over the next few days.

"What will you say if Fischer questions you about McAllister?" Lisbon guessed they ought to get their story straight on this.

"Well you've covered pretty well for that, but if pressed I'll say he had information about my family's murder and I wanted to talk to him while I could. It has a basis of truth in it, and won't cause you or Cho any more difficulties." Jane figured he could deal with Fischer, and would be surprised if they even got to this stage.

Lisbon conferred briefly with Cho, while Jane chatted with the rest of the team. Van Pelt quickly filled Jane in on Karen's latest bombshells. There was a real sense of schadenfreud at all these people, who had profited at the public's expense, finally getting their comeuppance. Events were moving more quickly than he expected, and Jane asked Van Pelt to let him know as soon as Karen directed her vitriol at Bertram. Jane suspected as soon as Bertram was thrown to the wolves, Karen's revenge would be imminent.

If Jane recalled correctly, he was sure Bertram was due to give a briefing to the press later that afternoon and it may well be worth checking it out. Sidling alongside Lisbon, he listened in as she and Cho discussed the possible lines of questioning. Lisbon was keen to protect Cho from the ramifications of their actions, and had explained what Jane would say if questioned. Cho turned to Jane "You Ok with this?"

"Yes, I don't think they'll link Red John with McAllister, so we'll just play a straight bat. It all depends how far Bertram wants to take it, but I don't think Fischer would ever make the link. However Bertram may yet have something up his sleeve, I wouldn't put it past him to have a backup plan, and have a sacrificial lamb lined up to take the fall. He doesn't know the extent of the case against him, so he'll still feel confident about his leverage over us."

Cho acknowledged the sense of the argument, and turned his attention to Jane and Lisbon. "So what have you guys got lined up for the future?"

Jane looked at Lisbon with a smile on his lips. "Personally I'd like to disappear into the sunset for a few weeks, but no doubt Lisbon will want to see this through to the bitter end."

"Yeah, she's like that." Cho paused briefly, a hint of smile flickered across his face before reverting to his normal deadpan delivery. "There's nothing we can't handle Boss, it's time you cut yourself some slack. Besides none of us are getting any younger, and you may as well make the most of things while you still can."

Jane snorted with mirth as Lisbon exclaimed."Kimball! I'm still your boss for now, and can still send you off on one of Schettrick's outreach programmes." Lisbon knew that would be Cho's worst nightmare, making small talk with the general public. It had been another of Schettrick's loony schemes to make the CBI more approachable, and everyone bar Cho and Jane had endured a session. The former was adjudged to lack the necessary skill set, and the idea of setting loose a bored and reluctant Jane in the public arena was way too risky.

They all chuckled out loud. It suddenly struck Lisbon how much she would miss the camaraderie of her team. They had formed an extended family, especially for Jane who had none of his own. Jane gently ushered her out towards the car park, guessing the cause of her sudden reflective mood. "It will be fine Lisbon. The kids had to grow up eventually, they need to go their own way now, and it's not as if we won't see them again."

Lisbon sighed deeply. "I know but it's still hard, I've seen them develop so much over the years. Tell me more about these plans to disappear for a few weeks, I need cheering up."

Putting on his faux psychic act, Jane closed his eyes and took Lisbon's hand then dramatically swiped the back of his other hand across his brow. "The spirits are telling me something. They can feel warmth and soft golden sunshine and what is that sound? Ah yes, it's the sound of gentle waves lapping round us and there's the feel of warm soft white sand underfoot." He paused to gauge the affect of his words, and was gratified to see a dreamy smile on Lisbon's face. "Wait there's more. I feel a presence, slightly damaged but intense, there are hands snaking all over my chest, and I can smell an unusual mix of coconut and cinnamon. I'm having a vision now of something slight and pale, wrapped in a sarong to protect against the sun, there are green searching eyes questioning me as the hands move from my face to ruffle my hair, then I hear a whisper in my ear, almost breaking the magic of the moment, telling me I need a shave. I lean down to brush the skin with my lips, it's as delicate as gossamer, so milky and smooth that my hands just glide over it, and then I..." Jane slowly gathered Lisbon into his arms as he pressed her against the car, and slowly kissed her.

Lisbon responded in kind before eventually coming up for breath, and gently tried to extricate herself. "Patrick the cameras! Much as I'm enjoying your vision, I'd prefer not to share it with the rest of the CBI."

Jane pushed against her, leaving her in no doubt as to the extent of his feelings. Swallowing deeply, she resisted his charms and pushed him away. "Later Patrick, we'll have all the time in the world. Let's go and see what's up with Bertram."

Jane huffed. "If we must. For the record, I've no intention of wasting any more time Teresa Lisbon. I'll whisk you away to paradise yet."

Lisbon smiled shyly "I'll hold you to that Patrick Jane."

Jane smiled contentedly, pondering whether it was getting close to the time when he could finally ask Lisbon that life changing question. If they weren't ready now, when would they be? Perhaps a meal at her favourite restaurant, followed by some dancing at that intimate jazz club, would finally set the mood for him to produce the ring he'd been carrying around for the last few weeks. Jane settled back into the car seat looking out of the window, as he finally allowed himself to dream.

* * *

It was just a routine press briefing, so Bertram was somewhat perplexed to see such hard hitting journalists in the crowd. He looked enquiringly at his PA Emily, who just shrugged her shoulders at him, and watched him walk out to the podium like a lamb to slaughter. Bertram had been in a foul mood all morning, and Emily had been bearing the brunt of it. When she first became aware of the sudden interest in Bertram that afternoon, she had tried to forewarn him, but he had just brushed her off dismissively. So Emily took a certain satisfaction in letting him face the press, unaware that Karen Cross had unleashed her final assault against him. Hell, she could find another job, with someone who appreciated her.

Brenda Schettrick normally controlled these events, but she was engaged elsewhere fielding awkward questions, including some about her willingness to sell information to the highest bidder. Bertram went through the preliminaries, in the competent manner the press had come to expect of him, and before long they had got to the Q&A session. He glanced over to where Emily was supposed to be, but she was nowhere to be seen; in Schettrick's absence, it was her job to select questions from the more favourable elements of the press.

Van Pelt had already alerted Jane of the mounting onslaught on Bertram, and they had asked the team to make their way over, in case things got out of hand. Jane noticed Bertram's slight unease, as his eyes searched for his missing PA. There was a barely disguised frown, when Bertram caught sight of Lisbon and Jane, before turning his attention back to the waiting journalists.

The awkward questions came thick and fast; Bertram tried to deflect as much as possible, but he was stopped in his tracks when someone asked him what he remembered of the Icarus society, he stuttered and looked accusingly at Lisbon. The questioner reminded him of his antics at Stanford, and said there was talk of re-opening the investigation into Leach's alleged suicide.

Bertram had heard enough, and quickly tried to wrap up the session before it got out of hand. Jane nudged Lisbon, when he spotted Karen making her way forward to the front of the crowd. Without thinking, Lisbon started to make her way over to Karen's projected destination, unable to stand by and just let events unfurl. She recalled Jennie entreating her to look out for Karen. Jane tried to pull her back, arguing there was nothing they could do. Lisbon just brushed his hands off, and made her way forward reaching down for her Glock as a precautionary measure.

Jane motioned to Cho, who was by now positioned on the opposite side of the gathering.

Karen strode forward. "So Director Bertram, perhaps you might remember more recent events. Perhaps you recall sanctioning the break in to my home, and the murder of Jennie Davis?"

There was an audible gasp at her words, Bertram's head involuntarily shot round to see who was speaking. He tried to make his way away from the podium, but found the exit barred by eager members of the press.

"I haven't finished Director Bertram, perhaps you would like to explain to everyone here what you had to hide, that was important enough to justify the murder of an invalid, unable to defend herself."

Lisbon saw Karen reach for a gun, which she aimed at Bertram. "Just stop there, we're all waiting for you." Cross barked her order out.

Bertram glanced over to his security detail, and Lisbon saw them reach for their guns. "Karen don't do it, let him have his day in court." She implored. Realising the detail were poised to take Karen out, Lisbon launched herself at Karen, and with the element of surprise she managed to unbalance Karen and tackle her to the floor. Karen's gun was discharged, and there was the echo of a second shot, as Karen and Lisbon fell down together.

Jane pushed through the crowd frantically, he hadn't missed the recoil in Lisbon's body, coinciding with the second shot. Karen looked down helplessly at Lisbon, who lay stricken on the ground. "Why Lisbon?" Karen was perplexed and confused. "Jennie asked me to look out for you." Lisbon whispered, as her eyes sought frantically for Jane.

"It's alright Teresa, I'm here everything is going to be alright." He saw the blood seeping out from the wound in her side and took off his jacket to press against it. "Just breath slowly get that heart rate down. I'm here now Teresa, just remember I love you sweetheart." He was desperately trying to sooth her, while barely in control of his own racing heart.

Lisbon smiled weakly back at him despite the feeling of searing pain. "I love you too Patrick, always have." She could just dimly make out his face, as she started to fade. "Hang on darling, it will all be alright."He kept gently stroking her and professing his love, hoping his words would make their way through to her psyche somehow. He became aware of a hand on his shoulder, Cho tried to maintain his composure and be objective for Jane's sake."The medics are just pulling up now Jane. The blood loss doesn't look excessive, so hopefully it's missed the major organs."

The medics pushed their way through, and did their best to stabilise Lisbon before rushing her to hospital. Jane was in shock, as his world and their hopes had just disintegrated before his eyes.

* * *

 **A/N** Sorry!


	35. Chapter 35 : The Shadow State

**Chapter 35 - The Shadow State**

It had all happened so quickly; the first shot had gone off by accident and Lisbon had been caught by the return fire from the security detail as she tried to move Cross out of danger. Bertram had witnessed it all at close quarters, but despite his grudging respect for Lisbon he wouldn't lose any sleep over her plight. It was one more potential problem solved.

Events had taken a wholly unexpected turn, and he needed to regroup quickly. There was no time to collect his things from his office, speed was of the essence. Unknown to Bertram, the SCU team had given Abbott a heads up on Jane's suspicion that something might happen. Abbott's team now had Bertram in their sights as he tried to make his getaway. The car park proved to be an ideal place for a take down, and no amount of Bertram's sweet talking or the high handed bluster that ensued would deter the FBI from taking Gale Bertram into custody. Bertram was whisked away to a secret destination well beyond the reach of his scions.

* * *

As soon as their initial fears had been dispelled Cho had managed to usher Jane into his car; they sped after the ambulance, allowing the medics to do their jobs unhindered. The journey to the hospital had been largely silent, neither man being disposed to perfunctory discourse. Cho kept a watchful eye on the consultant while they waited for further news of Lisbon, who had been rushed in for surgery. Thankfully it didn't appear that the injuries were life threatening. However Jane's lack of reaction was disconcerting, he seemed detached from what was going on. Cho had expected Jane to be an obnoxious bundle of nervous energy, annoying all and sundry in his demands for answers, but he was quite the opposite, part of him had just shut down. It wasn't the first time Cho had seen people react this way; in his days in the Special Forces he had come to recognise the signs of shock.

Attempts at conversation soon fizzled out, so Cho contented himself with forcing sweet cups of tea on Jane to keep him going. Realising what Cho was doing, Jane briefly acknowledged the efforts of his stoic companion, who had so adeptly read the situation. Van Pelt's attempt to smother Jane with concern was quickly halted by Cho's cautionary shake of the head, indicating it would be better to leave Jane to his own devices for now. Privately he arranged for Rigsby to get Jane's go to bag, it didn't look like he would be going anywhere soon.

The initial assessment from the hospital was cautious, the surgery on the internal injuries had gone well but there was some local trauma to the spine. Damage to a couple of the discs would require further surgery to stabilise the spine, once the swelling had subsided and the full impact of the damage was known. Unfortunately they would have to wait for Lisbon to come round before they could assess the full extent of the trauma; they just had to hope that when the inflammation subsided the pressure would be relieved on the spinal cord.

Cho wasn't entirely sure how much Jane had taken in; for now it was a waiting game. When Lisbon was finally wheeled back to the recovery room, Jane took his place by her side to keep a silent watch. His face was largely impassive, and he barely acknowledged the medics passing through making their routine checks. Accepting the need for hygiene, he had put up no opposition to wearing a gown over his clothes, despite the stifling heat. It was just another factor to shut out, as he mentally retreated to a safe place while they waited for Lisbon to come round.

The flicker of eyelids that signalled Lisbon's stirring alerted Jane to put on his game face, ensuring that when Lisbon came round his mask would be firmly in place. Gently taking her hand he waited patiently. A groan of discomfort was evidence of the inevitable onset of pain, as she slowly returned to consciousness.

* * *

Abbott was realistic about the task before them, they were not going to wave a magic wand and solve everything overnight. It was going to be a war of attrition. Bertram was only the tip of the iceberg, and inevitably there would be people willing and able to fill the void. It was well documented that the machinery of the deep state would just keep turning, regardless of who was in charge. It was no wonder it was so hard to effect change when the vested interests of the collective, that formed the so called shadow governments, could put a spoke in the wheel of the best laid plans.

There wasn't necessarily any alliance between the disparate members of the collective, which served the interests of finance, business, educators, unions, religion, law enforcement, the security forces and even organised crime. The list was endless and naturally the media was in a position to orchestrate it all. They were often on opposite sides of the argument, but it was irrefutable that their ability to promote their own agendas transcended the ability of the elected members to effect change. It made a mockery of the democratic process when the will of the people, and their elected representatives, held so little sway.

What Bertram had done so effectively, was to tap into a venal streak within the local collective that coalesced their interests, making them stronger and more powerful than normal. Their members had inveigled themselves into the very fabric of government, invisible yet omnipresent. The New Order had just been a convenient front for them, a banner of respectability to hide behind. Rutherford and her allies had been their stooges; they would have been allowed a degree of success for as long as they had the goodwill of the collective behind them. In the event of conflict of interests, the machinery of government would inexorably follow the diktat of the collective.

Although there was nothing he could do about it, Abbott knew that it potentially made his job tougher - there would be forces afoot to oppose any changes. It would be difficult if not impossible, to wean out all the subversive elements from law enforcement. Realistically he accepted that it would just be part of an ongoing process, and no doubt at some stage there would be attempts to regroup under a different guise. Abbott wondered whether the legislators were remotely aware of their impotence against the powers of the shadow state.

In a moment of reflection Abbott took a long hard look at his own unit back in Austin. Certainly there were weak characters that needed strong leadership, but they would work perfectly well in the right circumstances. How easy would it have been for someone like Fischer to be unduly influenced by a manipulative leader, and be led down the wrong track? Fischer had worked with Abbott for a long time, perhaps too long for her own good in many ways. She knew how he worked and was an invaluable deputy, but she sometimes went off the rails when things got personal. Abbott rarely had a cross word with her, but he had been incensed when he found out she had spent her time investigating the SCU, and Agent Lisbon in particular, instead of concentrating on the real culprits.

The SCU team weren't angels by any reckoning, but they formed an effective and cohesive unit that worked together with a common purpose to solve crime. Abbott was by no means the stickler they all thought him to be. He understood the need to be flexible with the rules at times, and admired the way Agent Lisbon had harnessed her team's abilities, and in particular those of her consultant, while broadly keeping on the right side of the argument, if not always strictly adhering to the rulebook.

As Lisbon and Jane were out of the loop for now, Abbott realised he would need to harness the resource of the SCU team to help flush out Bertram's operation. In a moment of inspiration, Abbott had persuaded Karen Cross to work with them. Cross was eager to build on Lisbon's sterling work, no doubt feeling responsible for Lisbon's current condition. She had asked for no concessions in respect of her own situation, though Abbott would not discount her assistance, when deciding what sanctions to levy against her. The pragmatic approach was to utilise Karen's knowledge, and run down her leads to their logical conclusion. If Lisbon's effort and sacrifice were to mean anything, they had to act decisively and without delay.

Fischer wasn't entirely comfortable with such an unconventional approach, but there was no denying Cross had infiltrated the deep state and knew exactly how to get to people. Ultimately the cases would be built on firm foundations, backed up by good old fashioned police work, and capable of withstanding the rigours of examination by the justice system. Abbott had no compunction about taking short cuts, and using all the resources available to him.

* * *

When Lisbon came round, it soon became apparent that she had little sensation in her legs. The medics assured them that this could be temporary, but nothing was guaranteed. The look of fear in her eyes, as the realisation of her situation made its way through her drug fuelled stupor, was truly heart breaking. Jane managed to keep up his act with her and give her the best support he could, but despite his words of comfort they both realised that their lives could be changed forever.

Jane's relief at the injuries not being life threatening, was tempered by the knowledge that someone as active as Lisbon would find it difficult to come to terms with the possibility of permanent disability, and the prospect of dependency. As Lisbon's drugs were eased off, she was able to form a more coherent idea of her prospects. Not wishing to be unduly pessimistic, she kept up an upbeat front for everyone else. She only allowed herself to indulge in her private fears, when she was finally left alone with her thoughts. Many a silent tear was shed in the depths of the night at the thought that she had chased down her last villain, and that their plans for the future may never come to fruition.

In the worst case, Lisbon wouldn't hold Jane to a life of looking after an invalid. She didn't know whether she could face the indignity of being looked after by a loved one. Not being the most patient of people and fiercely independent to boot, it was inevitable she would get increasingly fractious at not being in control of her own life. What would start out as a loving caring relationship had the potential to descend into rancour and bitterness. It was obvious Jane wasn't coping well now, so how could he possibly cope with the responsibility of an invalid? Lisbon could see beyond his mask, the eyes were dead, the smiles were hollow. Of course he did and said the right things for her sake, but it was patently an act and she rightly guessed that in private he was both depressed and angry.

For his part Jane wants to be a better person, but then part of him just wants to lash out at the unfairness of it all. The solicitousness of the team was wearing him down. If Grace gave him one more soulful look, he's sure he will snap. He feels like a selfish jerk, when Lisbon is undoubtedly the victim, but having plummeted from a feeling of heady euphoria beforehand to one of profound melancholy, a bumpy landing was inevitable.

As much as he wants to emulate Lisbon's upbeat attitude, he's gripped once more by the black dog of depression. He starts to dwell on the past and contemplates an uncertain future. The most logical of men in normal times, Jane starts to think this is an omen that their relationship was not meant to be. The black cloud hanging over them has altered his perception, the streak of optimism that previously carried him through the darkest times, had gone missing. All he could feel was the weight of another life ruined, he couldn't even wallow in self loathing, it was by no means his fault, but it was just so fucking pointless. Lisbon of all people didn't deserve this.

* * *

Cho recognised the signs of Jane slipping back into his old ways, although he didn't understand it fully he knew depression was an illness. The usual cajoling and plain speaking treatment Cho fell back on, were all to no avail. It's obvious Jane's just putting on a brave face to the world, but it's not working as well as Jane would like to think. Cho had conflicting feelings; part of him was just plain angry that Jane hasn't coped better, but he also knew how damaged Jane was, with all the baggage he'd carried round with him for years.

It just ate Cho up to see Lisbon's frown of concern as she worried about Jane, when all her efforts should be put into her recovery. Knowing Jane's antipathy to Doctors, it's unlikely that Jane would accept professional help or even admit there was a problem, so as a last resort Cho shared his concerns with Minelli.

On hearing the obvious concern in Cho's voice, Minelli pulled forward his planned visit by a few days. Trust that damn fool consultant to be wallowing in self pity, instead of stepping up to the mark for Lisbon. Although Minelli was well aware of the state of Lisbon's injury, it still took him aback to see her laid out in bed. Lisbon was the closest thing he'd ever have to a daughter, and he had to garner all his self control to put on his best face for her. Rather than risk overtiring Lisbon May had taken refuge in the coffee lounge, and the intention was to try and get her to use her skills as a counsellor to talk to Jane.

Needless to say Jane was irritable at being dismissed. "Why does everyone think they know what's best for us?"

Minelli bit back his initial reaction for Lisbon's sake. "We didn't want to overtire Lisbon, so May is taking a coffee and I thought you'd keep May company as a courtesy to me. For some reason that eludes me, she's rather looking forward to seeing you again."

Jane looked a bit sheepish; he muttered a quick apology in acknowledgement of the gentle rebuke before making his way to meet with May. Minelli noticed the flicker of concern on Lisbon's face as Jane left. Minelli resolved to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand, and he hoped May was just the person to do it.

The welcome on May's face as she saw Jane approaching was warm and heartfelt, a no nonsense hug and a gesture to join her helped put Jane at his ease. Not giving Jane the option to refuse, May informed him that she had taken the liberty of arranging some sandwiches and drinks. A grimace at being outsmarted was the only indication of Jane's irritation at being so skilfully handled.

"Virgil couldn't wait to visit Teresa, he really thinks the world of her you know. It's bad enough when any agents get injured, but Teresa was always a bit special for him. You know he's quite a softy beneath that gruff exterior of his." May blithely chatted away, taking note of Jane's reactions to the subject matter. "Of course we were worried how she would cope with her injuries. It must be hard to come to terms with, when you've led such an active life. Virgil reckons she'll just bottle it all up and won't say anything. So how's she really she coping Patrick?"

Hearing his name, Jane realised May was expecting an answer. "How do you think she's coping?" Jane snapped somewhat ungraciously. "She's scared stiff but trying to hide it from everyone."

"Surely she's not hiding it from you though?" May led Jane gently on.

Jane laughed bitterly. "Especially from me, she thinks I can't cope and thinks I don't know what she's doing."

May blinked at him through her glasses, taking in his nervous tapping of the table as his agitation increased. Undeterred she calmly pushed forward. "I guess it's in her nature to cope, from what I gather she's always had to. The prospect of giving up control must be terrifying for her. I don't suppose you find it easy either, being in the hands of people you don't know, having to accept their professional opinion when you're the one that's normally in charge."

"Well I'm not in charge now, I feel so helpless not being able to do anything." Jane's resentment was bubbling to the surface, his legendary self control had deserted him. He felt May's calm stare, she was slowly peeling away his mask and wouldn't let him hide from her. His lips were firmly set together in a futile act of defiance.

"It's alright to be angry Patrick, it's a perfectly natural reaction but rather than try to hide it why don't you harness it. You hate being managed and processed by people however good their intentions. I can tell it's only your natural politeness that is holding you back from venting your spleen on me." May blinked again, like some wise old owl that has seen it all before.

"Well I wouldn't rely on my politeness holding me back forever." Jane growled.

"Oh I don't Patrick. But as I'm sure you're aware I'm more than capable of giving back as good as I get. I won't handle you with kid gloves if you choose to lash out at me." May calmly held him in her gaze, refusing to be intimidated by him.

Jane couldn't in all sincerity vent his anger at May; he lowered his head in submission and smiled ruefully. "Oh you're good, very good at this." It was impossible not to lower his guard slightly in the presence of this honest, caring soul. "Virgil's a canny old bird leaving me alone with you; he always had a devious streak to him."

May poured them both another cup of tea, and pushed an empty plate in Jane's direction before motioning with her head towards the sandwiches. "Just humour me Patrick please."

Realising he actually was hungry, Jane reached out for some food. "You know you should carry a health warning. You blink away behind those glasses, slowly casting your spell until it's too late to do anything about it." Jane looked genuinely amused at the way he'd been suckered in, but he had to say he felt better than he had for days. Finally someone was talking to him openly without walking on eggshells. The conversation thereafter proceeded more easily, as Jane felt able to open himself to May without fear of judgement, and he openly admitted how much he had been struggling. Jane was by no means out of the woods, but at least there was a clearing where some light shone through, allowing him the luxury of clarity of thought.

As they made their way back to Lisbon's room, May allowed herself one moment of weakness. "I promised myself not to interfere too much, but if I may suggest Patrick a quick spruce up wouldn't go amiss. You have slightly scruffy vibe going on there."

Jane pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Virgil's a lucky, lucky man."

When they got back in the room Jane immediately saw a sparkle in Lisbon's eyes, she just inclined her head towards the bottom of the bed and wiggled her toes ever so slightly. Jane's face melted into a joyous smile as he rushed forward to hug her, both past the point of hiding their feelings by this stage, their tears fell freely.

Minelli swallowed hard; darn it if he hadn't got something in his eye. May took his hand and led him outside, they would come back later.

* * *

A/N My knowledge of spinal injuries is superficial to say the least, so you may need to grant me some leeway on this. I kept this largely descriptive as any dialogue I came up with between Jane and Lisbon just felt trite and clichéd.


	36. Chapter 36 : Carpe Diem

**Chapter 36: Carpe Diem**

Once the Doctors were more confident about the extent of Lisbon's injuries, they proceeded with the surgery to stabilise her condition. It was a great relief to Lisbon, who had been immobilised to prevent any further damage to her spine. After a while she was able to sit up in bed, and as more and more feeling came back in her legs the rehabilitation could begin in earnest. There was every reason to hope that a reasonable recovery was likely, although it was unlikely she would ever be completely pain free. Still it was an altogether more optimistic outlook than they had originally envisaged.

Lisbon was never short of visitors, although it could be a bit taxing at times having to keep up a conversation, when the drugs still made her feel drowsy. Once the drug regime reverted to less potent treatments Lisbon started to perk up, but she still needed time to recuperate as the physical therapy was exhausting.

The team were busy chasing down Karen's leads, but one of them always came by each day. Van Pelt and Rigsby wore their hearts on their sleeves, and couldn't help but show their concern. The first time Cho had visited, he'd gruffly squeezed her hand and swallowed hard. It was amazing how the man of few words and even fewer facial expressions could convey his feelings with a real sincerity, despite his more muted response. Lisbon was really choked to see Jane gently squeeze Cho's shoulder in a simple act of solidarity, it comforted her to know that whatever transpired, Jane had a true friend in Kimball Cho.

Although Lisbon knew Karen had been asking about her, nevertheless it was a surprise when she came to visit. Lisbon had made it abundantly clear that she didn't hold Karen remotely responsible for what happened, though Jane had been harder to win round on that score. It was ironic that Karen was just doing what Jane had sought to do for years, but Jane conveniently chose to ignore that. Unsure of her reception, Karen's first visit had been tentative, but after a warm welcome from Lisbon she became a welcome and regular visitor. She was one of the few people willing to call Jane out on his over protectiveness, not that it always went down that well. Even in this situation Karen refused to be fazed by Jane.

Although Karen would never be filled with the milk of human kindness, she had a genuine regard for Lisbon and would never forget how Lisbon had been there for Jennie. "I won't go on about it, but you know I'm sorry what happened. It just makes me more determined to nail the bastard. Fortunately Abbott's not as strait laced as he first appears, he's more than happy for my input. By time you're out, I hope to serve Bertram's head up to you on a platter – he's going down big time."

Lisbon appreciated that Karen didn't go overboard with pity, as fond as Lisbon was of Van Pelt the cloying sympathy was starting to get to her.

"I bet you're fed up of putting up a brave face for everyone; I'm sure I'd have snapped by now. How's the rehab going?" Karen asked matter of factly.

"I have my moments." Lisbon conceded with a smile. "Apparently most of the recovery takes place in the first six months, they're still optimistic I'll be able to walk unaided with time, but it's just laborious and tiring at the moment."

"Any good therapists?" Karen asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"There's nothing remotely enticing about the reality of therapy, regardless how alluring the therapist is. There'll be no magic to the relationship when I get home, unless I can get control of things again." Lisbon said with a hint of bitterness.

"I can imagine. Jennie felt the same at times. I think I drove her up the wall." Karen admitted.

"Did she have a coping strategy?" Lisbon was trying to see a way forward to keep Jane's inevitable protectiveness under control.

"You're going to have to set boundaries, otherwise it's just going to get you down pandering to everyone's feelings. I guess the hard thing is going to be channelling Patrick's energy into something practical. I do know Abbott would like Jane to help with some of the interviews. I think a bit of Jane's chicanery would help speed things along, if he could tear himself away for a while."

Armed with a plan, Lisbon lost no time tackling Jane. "We need to find out as much as possible about this kind of injury, we may as well know the facts, even if we don't like them. I'm fed up of being talked about and not knowing the facts. I need you on top form, if we're going to lick these Doctors into shape. Oh and by the way, Doctors are less likely to talk down to well presented people - so a shave and haircut wouldn't go amiss."

Jane realised he was being given a pep talk and was being managed, but somehow felt better at being treated like a useful implement rather than an object for pity.

"Yes Ma'am" He gave a quick salute.

Jane still had his bad days, but now he had a bit of fire back in his belly he researched Lisbon's condition like a demon, until he could converse on equal terms with the medical team. Needless to say there was opposition from some quarters to his getting involved, which didn't do much to combat Jane's natural distrust of the frauds in white coats, as he persisted in calling them. Lisbon firmly reminded him that those "frauds" had saved her life, and he should show a bit more respect to them.

After a couple of weeks Jane was pretty much an expert on the condition and treatments; he grudgingly admitted the value of the internet for research into matters like this. Heaven help anyone who tried to pull the wool over his eyes, he quickly honed in on any pseudo intellectual flimflam, designed to position the doctors beyond the questioning of the mere mortals they attended. Jane dissected his victims with surgical precision, the bigger the ego the harder they fell. Eventually Lisbon had to tell Jane to rein it in a bit as it was getting embarrassing

It all came to a head during physical therapy when Jane insisted the therapist was over taxing Lisbon. She finally blew her top, and banned him completely from her therapy sessions for the next week, as he just wouldn't stop interfering. In a perverse way Jane relished seeing her fighting spirit back, the fact that they had started to bicker again and weren't pussy footing around each other was a definite step forward.

After some arduous and frustrating sessions, Lisbon was finally able to take some tentative steps on her wobbly legs, using the parallel bars for support. She soon progressed to walking short distances with a frame or sticks, but her body had forgotten how to move and her co-ordination and balance felt off. When she tried a few steps unaided, she wasn't sure what to do with her arms. It was like learning to do a dance, when she couldn't remember all the steps. The therapist was more concerned with building up Lisbon's strength, than rushing to walk unaided. That would come naturally with time, but they needed to know that Lisbon could safely navigate her living space before she was discharged. Much as she hated it Lisbon had to agree to use sticks in the short term.

As they neared the point of discharge, Jane was allowed back in the PT sessions in order to learn how to help with some of the exercises Lisbon could do at home. The rehabilitation was going to be a long hard slog, but Lisbon's guts and determination went a long way to aiding her recovery.

* * *

The elections were looming, and predictably the opinion polls saw support for the New Order ebb away, as people reverted to their old allegiances. It was rare that a third party made much headway, and recent events had cast a shadow over Rutherford, although she had never been directly implicated in anything criminal. She would just be another footnote in history, a brief diversion lost in the annals of time.

Although they could never pin any of the murders directly to Bertram, there was enough circumstantial evidence to make the lesser charges stick. These would ensure it was unlikely he'd see the light of day for a long time, always assuming he survived a life of incarceration. With what he knew, he was a danger to those left behind and a convenient accident could never be ruled out. Not many people would grieve the passing of Gale Bertram.

Jane had agreed to help with the interviews until Lisbon was discharged from hospital, and with Jane's help they whittled away at the suspects. Unburdened by concern for Lisbon's reputation, yes Jane did factor that in occasionally, and without the prospect of a future at the CBI, Jane cut through the crap with rapier like precision. Abbott winced at the way Jane dealt with people, but it was undeniably effective. It rarely took people long to fold under his clinical assault. Cho observed impassively, guessing Jane was taking his frustrations out in the interview room, leaving Cho to follow through with a more professional line of enquiry that would stand up in court.

As Abbott's scourge of the establishment continued apace, the team were working flat out and had less time to visit. They frequently worked long shifts and conducted dawn raids, isolating suspects before they had the chance to forewarn their accomplices. Abbott worked the team hard, and they responded to the challenge, forming a good working relationship with the uncompromising FBI agent. As time passed and the operation started to be wound up, a new director was appointed to head up the CBI. She was from out of state, and had a reputation for being a straight arrow. She would undoubtedly want to rebuild the organisation in her own way.

Abbott had a high regard for the team, and knew it would be difficult for them to continue at the CBI, as they would always be viewed with a degree of suspicion. With assurances that Abbott would happily take them into his own unit back at Texas once they had gone through training, Van Pelt and Cho decided to take up the places they had been offered at Quantico. Abbott thought no less of Rigsby, but knew his personal ties would keep him close to Sacramento. Moreover Rigsby had recently started dating Gloria, much to Van Pelt and Cho's amusement. Despite the disparity in their backgrounds, they had really hit it off, Gloria was decidedly high maintenance and Rigsby was going to need that high flying job to keep up with her expensive tastes.

* * *

The initial euphoria of being discharged soon got worn down by the practicalities of living with impaired mobility. Jane's tendency to fuss soon wore Lisbon down. It was a natural reaction to want to protect her, but it only reinforced her frustration at her inability to be independent. Lisbon knew she was on a short fuse, and always regretted it after she snapped at Jane. As much as he tried to disguise his hurt, the tensed muscles round the eyes belied his forced smile. The whole dynamic took on a different perspective as Lisbon struggled to accept his role as carer.

Fortunately May continued to offer Jane support, he had never been one to share his feelings being naturally introspective, but he had come to rely on May as a sounding board. Always loyal to Lisbon, he would make excuses for her, but May could read between the lines and it was obvious all was not well. On the bad days Jane had to keep reminding himself how lucky he was to have a second chance, even if things weren't going to be quite as idyllic as they had hoped.

They continued to rub each other up the wrong way, as Lisbon reacted angrily to Jane insisting she used her sticks round the flat. In true pig headed fashion Lisbon over extended herself while Jane was out running errands, and Jane came back to find her on the floor. Defiant to the last, Lisbon grudgingly accepted Jane's help to get up, but when she felt a worrying tingle in her legs a trip to the emergency room was inevitable. Despite the scare, Lisbon still railed at the pressure to take things slowly. In the absence of anyone else, Jane took the full brunt of her invective. Although she regretted it afterwards, she couldn't bring herself to apologise as the resentment festered.

May and Minelli turned up unannounced one afternoon; May had a feeling that the situation was escalating. Lisbon really was her own worst enemy; Minelli hated to admit it but he was seriously disappointed in her. St Teresa she was not.

Alone briefly, Minelli caught Lisbon in his piercing gaze. "I knew you'd be cranky and independent, but I never thought you'd be so mean spirited. God knows the man can be infuriating, but I don't think you realise how lucky you are." He paused briefly to take in her shocked reaction before pressing on, it needed to be said, and Minelli knew he was one of the few people she would listen to.

"Everyone is bending over backwards to please you. No one is willing to call you out on your behaviour, but I have to say Teresa I'm frankly disappointed in you. I may not always have been Jane's biggest fan, but anyone can see he'd do anything for you Teresa, and he doesn't deserve to have it thrown back in his face. This whole setup is just too claustrophobic; you both need to spend time with other people. I dare say Jane's as much at fault in some respects, insisting on doing everything for you, but there's no excuse for your behaviour."

Lisbon's eyes smarted at the rebuke, but she recognised the truth of what he said. It was as she had originally feared; her temperament had got the better of her. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, and it shamed her to realise that she was echoing her father's behaviour in some respects. Minelli had come this far and was not going to let Lisbon get off the hook, so when Jane came back and attempted to fuss over Lisbon, Minelli pulled Jane back. "You're crowding her son, give her some space. Wait until she asks for help."

"I'm just trying to help."Jane said defensively.

"I know you are, but wait to be asked. Now how about a cup of coffee?" Minelli tried to get the visit back on track, as they started to chat about the situation at the CBI. Lisbon strained to reach her cup, and Jane immediately tried to get up to help, but was restrained by Minelli.

"Let her ask." Minelli growled.

Lisbon looked surprised, but rather than swallow her pride and ask for help, she persisted in trying to over reach.

"Teresa!" Minelli bellowed. "You won't choke on the words - just ask."

Lisbon's eyes flitted over to Jane's direction; they both looked chastened, accepting some responsibility for the situation. "Please ...Patrick" the words came out falteringly, Jane gave a wry smile and a nod before reaching over to help her. A muffled thank you followed. Minelli nodded approvingly ."There that wasn't so bad."

Minelli stayed on for a while to monitor proceedings, before finally leaving, they figured Jane and Lisbon needed some time to thrash this out.

"You don't need to ask every time." Jane said quietly. "I'll try not to crowd you in future."

"No. Minelli's right, I've been a prize bitch. Forgive me Patrick." Lisbon lowered her eyes, the shame of her behaviour weighed heavily on her. Jane shuffled over to sit next to her on the sofa and slid his arm around her, for the first time in weeks Lisbon offered no resistance. "It'll work itself out Teresa; it was bound to take a while to adjust."

A logical discussion ensued agreeing terms of engagement, which allowed Lisbon a degree of independence, but included a tacit agreement that she would ask for help when needed. Neither were comfortable with the formal asking and thanking, but a method of silent communication soon evolved where a tilt of the head would indicate the need for help, followed by a quick smile of thanks afterwards, and gradually an equitable way of life evolved.

Comfortable with each other once more, the next hurdle was the resumption of a normal relationship. They had been given the go ahead to resume physical activities with care, but they were cautioned that it would be inadvisable for someone with Lisbon's health issues to have children. Although they had never discussed the subject, Lisbon was strangely discomforted about the option being taken off the table. She had long reconciled herself to being childless, but she still experienced an unexpected ache at yet another lost opportunity.

Despite the assurances that it was safe to do so, Jane was reticent about taking matters further for fear of hurting Lisbon. It was left to Lisbon to take control of the situation; taking matters in hand she manoeuvred Jane to the point of no return. Afterwards she settled back smugly, as they both lay breathless and sated. "We're supposed to be taking it easy woman." Jane huffed.

"There's no point shaking up the bottle if you're not going to pop the cork." She replied archly, hoping that once that cherry had been popped things would go back to normal.

So they settled into their normal routine, bickering and jousting, but without the undercurrent of rancour. An affectionate, more honest relationship, not perfect by any means, but they were comfortable and at ease with each other. As things improved Lisbon was able to get out and about more, and was finally able to enjoy the semblance of a normal life.

* * *

The team were starting to make new lives for themselves and Jane and Lisbon felt their absence keenly, it was almost empty nest syndrome. It was time that they started to move on themselves, and Jane started to contemplate formalising their relationship once more. There was nothing to keep them in Sacramento, they could move out to the coast or leave California behind them for good. The possibilities were infinite, although they both preferred sunnier climes, but it was time they sat down and had a serious discussion about their future, and Jane retrieved the ring he had bought prior to Lisbon's shooting.

Strangely enough Jane struggled to pluck up the courage to ask the question, his confidence had been undermined over the last few months. It had been going on for days; Jane had been toying with the box in his pocket, but never quite got as far as asking the question. You didn't need to be a detective to work out Jane's intentions, and Lisbon had been waiting expectantly. As yet another day threatened to pass by, her patience started to snap - honestly how could such an arrogant jerk be so insecure when it mattered?

"Is it so difficult to ask that question?" Lisbon gave him a long hard look.

Subconsciously Jane's hand went to down to his pocket, his lips quirked. "What question?"

"The one that's burning a hole in your pocket." Lisbon rolled her eyes in exasperation.

An embarrassed half smile appeared on his lips; Jane guessed he'd been rumbled. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity."

"Jeez, what are you waiting for? Some astrological sign, must Venus be in conjunction with Mercury? I was kind of hoping you'd ask me sometime this Millennia, besides that box will be worn out if you keep on fingering it like that."

Jane licked his bottom lip, then teased speculatively."Well you could ask me - after all I know how independent you are."

"Yes, but I'm not the one who's been carrying that box round with them all week. Honestly if you pat your pocket one more time, people will think you've got a drug habit." Lisbon growled in frustration.

"There you go again. You've just ruined the magic woman." He pursed his lips, failing miserably to hide his amusement.

"Magic!" Lisbon screeched, before looking to the heavens for inspiration. "If I could wave a magic wand that ring would be on my finger by now."

"What about the romance? I wanted to woo you, to take you to the finest restaurant, and partake of the food of love, and then pop the question over some champagne." Jane elaborated.

"The answer's yes, wherever you ask it." Lisbon would have this out, one way or another tonight.

"Patience woman, I haven't asked you anything yet." Jane huffed.

Lisbon just rolled her eyes and quipped "Well I'd prefer to have my own teeth for the wedding photographs, but at your pace we'll both be in the retirement home."

An irrepressible grin broke out on Jane's face, she was adorable when she was like this, more like his old Lisbon.

Lisbon took Jane's hands before gathering up her courage and speaking from the heart. "Patrick after the last few months, grand speeches count for nothing, if we don't know each other now we never will." Jane's face stilled into a more reflective pose, as his eyes engaged with Lisbon's.

"All my life I've done the sensible thing, lived for my career. I'm starting to realise that being so single minded, I'm just a shadow of the person I could have been. If I'd been prepared to make compromises, to have an ordinary life, I could have settled down years ago, but once I'd encountered the extraordinary I couldn't settle for anything less, no matter how long I had to wait."

Jane pulled her towards him and Lisbon buried her face in his chest before looking up earnestly. "Life is all too transient, we both know all too well how things can slip away from your grasp when you're least expecting it." Jane gave her a watery smile and tightened his grip around her, there was no way he was letting her go now.

A feeling of calm descended, as they were transfixed by each other's gaze. Lisbon felt strangely liberated, and had no qualms about the words that followed. "I may never be quite the person I was before, but I'm not going to let that stop me having a life. Let's seize the day and take this chance of happiness. Marry me Patrick, make me your wife, and let's finally dare to live."

And a few weeks later Jane did just that. The future was uncertain, but there were no guarantees in life. You just had to make the best of the cards you were dealt, and they had every intention of doing that.

* * *

A/N Thanks to everyone who has followed this story, especially to those of you who have commented and given so much support [both moral and technical]. I have really enjoyed writing it, even if this last chapter was a struggle. I just wish I'd had more time to finish it off properly. Hopefully I'll be back shortly with a new story when work settles down again.


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